How can people with sleep apnea be treated?

How can people with sleep apnea be treated?

Irshaad Ebrahim (Medical Director of The London Sleep Centre) gives expert video advice on: What is sleep apnea?; How many types of sleep apnea are there?; How can people with sleep apnea be treated? and more...

The mainstay of treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea is to enable the airway to remain open during the course of the night. This may involve, in the first instance, bringing the jaw forward and allowing the tongue base to move forward and hence keep the airflow smooth during the course of the night. A second, and more popular form of treatment, is by using a device that pumps air into the lungs during the course of the night. This device is called a Continuous Positive Airways Pressure device (CPAP) - and this device pumps air through a mask into the lungs overnight and keeps the airway open and hence keeps the oxygen levels in our blood normal.