Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs CPAP Use Needed Forever?CPAP Machine UseAlternatives to CPAP
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is CPAP Use Needed Forever?
CPAP Machine Use
Alternatives to CPAP
Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) typically continues so long as a person remains diagnosed withobstructive sleep apnea(OSA) and its symptoms.
You may need to use it for the rest of your life. However, airway or weight-related bariatric surgery to treat underlying causes can sometimes mean CPAP is no longer needed.
CPAP alternatives, such as nerve stimulation implants or auto-adjusting positive airway pressure (APAP), also may be treatment options. Lifestyle changes also may reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people.
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As long as you have sleep apnea, you should keep using a CPAP machine long-term, possibly your whole life. CPAP remains the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment even as other effective treatments continue to emerge.
Using a CPAP not only resolves symptoms but also helps limit the risk ofapnea-related conditions, including potentially fatal stroke and heart disease.
CPAP Machine and a Sleep Apnea Cure
CPAP is not a cure for sleep apnea. Using aCPAP machinedoes not lead to structural changes or symptom improvements that make the therapy unnecessary at some point.Like a pair of glasses, which improve vision only when you wear them, a CPAP machine only offers benefits when you use it.
There are reversible causes of OSA, though, including:
If OSA is a result of your nose, throat, and jaw structure or tongue anatomy, it can be present from birth and persist without intervention.Aging also may play a role in sleep apnea risk, with current research focused on the connection with age-related cognitive changes.
For many people diagnosed with sleep apnea, CPAP use remains necessary and offers benefits across a lifetime.
Technology is advancing in every aspect of life, including the treatment of health conditions like sleep apnea. CPAPdevicesare getting smaller, quieter, easier to use, and less intrusive.
Alternativesto CPAP exist, and more are being developed all the time. Other treatment alternatives now include:
Lifestyle measures, like losing weight and avoiding alcohol, may help with sleep apnea symptoms. Positional sleep therapy can help, too. The results of asleep studyand other diagnostic tests will determine the sleep apnea intervention needed, including CPAP.
Sleep Apnea and MedicationAlthough there are no medications approved specifically for apnea treatment, some studies suggest Prozac (fluoxetine) appears to limit the number of apnea episodes.Other studies suggest semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy can improve apnea symptoms as well as boost weight loss.Results are mixed, though, and more study is needed on Prozac and other potential drug treatments.
Sleep Apnea and Medication
Although there are no medications approved specifically for apnea treatment, some studies suggest Prozac (fluoxetine) appears to limit the number of apnea episodes.Other studies suggest semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy can improve apnea symptoms as well as boost weight loss.Results are mixed, though, and more study is needed on Prozac and other potential drug treatments.
Although there are no medications approved specifically for apnea treatment, some studies suggest Prozac (fluoxetine) appears to limit the number of apnea episodes.
Other studies suggest semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy can improve apnea symptoms as well as boost weight loss.
Results are mixed, though, and more study is needed on Prozac and other potential drug treatments.
Summary
CPAP therapy is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, but it is not a cure for the condition. It only works while you are actually using the CPAP device.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Penn Medicine.Penn sleep centers OSA education FAQ.Donovan LM, Boeder S, Malhotra A, Patel SR.New developments in the use of positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea.Journal of thoracic disease. 2015;7(8):1323-42. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.07.30National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Sleep apnea.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease. 2015;6(5):273-85. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318McCarra MB, Owens RL.Obstructive sleep apnea: Can the downward spiral be reversed. A summary of John Stradling’s ATS keynote speech.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016;8(Suppl 7):S539-41. doi:10.21037/jtd.2016.07.26Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: Current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657Kinugawa K.Obstructive sleep apnea and dementia: A role to play?Rev Neurol. 2023;179(7):793-803. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2023.08.006Aboussouan LS, Bhat A, Coy T, Kominsky A.Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea: CPAP and beyond.Cleve Clin J Med. 2023;90(12):755-765. doi:10.3949/ccjm.90a.23032University of Michigan Health.CPAP treatment.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Penn Medicine.Penn sleep centers OSA education FAQ.Donovan LM, Boeder S, Malhotra A, Patel SR.New developments in the use of positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea.Journal of thoracic disease. 2015;7(8):1323-42. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.07.30National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Sleep apnea.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease. 2015;6(5):273-85. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318McCarra MB, Owens RL.Obstructive sleep apnea: Can the downward spiral be reversed. A summary of John Stradling’s ATS keynote speech.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016;8(Suppl 7):S539-41. doi:10.21037/jtd.2016.07.26Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: Current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657Kinugawa K.Obstructive sleep apnea and dementia: A role to play?Rev Neurol. 2023;179(7):793-803. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2023.08.006Aboussouan LS, Bhat A, Coy T, Kominsky A.Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea: CPAP and beyond.Cleve Clin J Med. 2023;90(12):755-765. doi:10.3949/ccjm.90a.23032University of Michigan Health.CPAP treatment.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Penn Medicine.Penn sleep centers OSA education FAQ.Donovan LM, Boeder S, Malhotra A, Patel SR.New developments in the use of positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea.Journal of thoracic disease. 2015;7(8):1323-42. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.07.30National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Sleep apnea.Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease. 2015;6(5):273-85. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318McCarra MB, Owens RL.Obstructive sleep apnea: Can the downward spiral be reversed. A summary of John Stradling’s ATS keynote speech.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016;8(Suppl 7):S539-41. doi:10.21037/jtd.2016.07.26Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: Current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657Kinugawa K.Obstructive sleep apnea and dementia: A role to play?Rev Neurol. 2023;179(7):793-803. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2023.08.006Aboussouan LS, Bhat A, Coy T, Kominsky A.Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea: CPAP and beyond.Cleve Clin J Med. 2023;90(12):755-765. doi:10.3949/ccjm.90a.23032University of Michigan Health.CPAP treatment.
Penn Medicine.Penn sleep centers OSA education FAQ.
Donovan LM, Boeder S, Malhotra A, Patel SR.New developments in the use of positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea.Journal of thoracic disease. 2015;7(8):1323-42. doi:10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.07.30
National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Sleep apnea.
Spicuzza L, Caruso D, Di Maria G.Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome and its management.Therapeutic advances in chronic disease. 2015;6(5):273-85. doi:10.1177/2040622315590318
McCarra MB, Owens RL.Obstructive sleep apnea: Can the downward spiral be reversed. A summary of John Stradling’s ATS keynote speech.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2016;8(Suppl 7):S539-41. doi:10.21037/jtd.2016.07.26
Osman AM, Carter SG, Carberry JC, Eckert DJ.Obstructive sleep apnea: Current perspectives.Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:21-34. doi:10.2147/NSS.S124657
Kinugawa K.Obstructive sleep apnea and dementia: A role to play?Rev Neurol. 2023;179(7):793-803. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2023.08.006
Aboussouan LS, Bhat A, Coy T, Kominsky A.Treatments for obstructive sleep apnea: CPAP and beyond.Cleve Clin J Med. 2023;90(12):755-765. doi:10.3949/ccjm.90a.23032
University of Michigan Health.CPAP treatment.
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