You have sleep apnea. Now what? Here are your four treatment options. #ent #sleepapnea #snotdoc

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Okay, so you've got obstructive sleep apnea. So now what? Uh let me give you the four main treatment options.

[00:00:07]Now, as a reminder, uh sleep apnea obstructive sleep apnea is when your airway collapses at night and your breathing stops. Slowly your oxygen will drop, your brain recognizes this, nudges you awake, and you you come out of uh the the level of sleep that you're in.

[00:00:20]So you never really get in the deep levels of sleep. You don't have the healthy sleep patterns like we're hoping for.

[00:00:24]Uh so option number one, important for everybody, weight loss.

[00:00:29]Easier said than done, but really helpful across the board. Studies have shown that even a 10% drop in weight can uh decrease your sleep apnea level by 50%. Uh so even a 5% uh you know, drop is is helpful. And again, recommended across the board as a first line of treatment.

[00:00:44]The second uh option is CPAP. That's the gold standard. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure.

[00:00:50]Uh you use a mask either over your nose and or mouth, and it pushes air through your uh airway at night, kind of keeps everything tented open, and helps you breathe. It's uh the gold standard because it works across the board. Mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea really does work if you tolerate it. That's the kicker, not everybody tolerates it. Um there's been some studies that have shown that maybe about 75% of people do use it for the first 90 days, somewhat out of requirement, but then there is some drop in compliance after that. But again, for those that tolerate it, it is the way to go. Um option three is a mouth guard or a mandibular advancement device, kind of brings your jaw forward.

[00:01:27]It's best for people that have mild to moderate uh sleep apnea. Uh compliance is a little bit better than CPAP, again about 75% across the board long-term. Uh but again, only for that mild or moderate uh category.

[00:01:38]And then the uh fourth option is a newer one. It's actually a nerve stimulator.

[00:01:42]Uh pretty cool device. It's actually implanted underneath your skin, has a little electro that goes up to the nerve that helps push your tongue forward. So at night when it's turned on, you try to take a breath, and it stimulates that nerve, pushes your tongue off the back wall, opens your airway.

[00:01:56]Um good results long-term study does suggest that even at 5 years that uh there's about 75% compliance in people that feel like it is it is beneficial.

[00:02:05]So, every case is different. Uh talk to your sleep specialist kind of help determine which which is the right treatment for you.

[00:02:13]Now you knows, follow for more.