Sleep apnea treatment encompasses the therapeutic strategies used to eliminate or reduce the repetitive breathing interruptions that characterize the disorder, restore normal oxygenation, and consolidate sleep. Because most cases are obstructive, arising from collapse of the upper airway, treatment is organized arou…
Sleep apnea treatment encompasses the therapeutic strategies used to eliminate or reduce the repetitive breathing interruptions that characterize the disorder, restore normal oxygenation, and consolidate sleep. Because most cases are obstructive, arising from collapse of the upper airway, treatment is organized around relieving that obstruction and is tailored to disease severity, anatomy, and comorbidity. Positive-airway-pressure therapy remains the reference intervention, delivering pneumatic splinting that holds the airway open across the respiratory cycle. For selected patients, alternative or adjunctive approaches include expiratory positive airway pressure delivered through nasal devices, which exploit the physiological resistance generated during exhalation to stabilize the airway, though such devices carry inherent limitations in candidacy and efficacy. Additional options span oral appliances that reposition the mandible, positional therapy, weight management, surgical correction of obstructing anatomy, and treatment of contributing structural abnormalities. Emerging research also examines neurochemical regulators of sleep and circadian biology, including the endocannabinoid system, as potential targets for modulating sleep continuity. Effective management depends on accurate diagnosis and on objective measurement of sleep quality and respiratory events to confirm response. Successful treatment aims not only to abolish apneic episodes but also to mitigate the cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive consequences of untreated disease, making individualized, evidence-guided selection of therapy central to care.
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 8 articles above have been cited 38 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
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