Moderate sleep apnea treatment options

Moderate sleep apnea treatment options are similar to the treatment that’s typically recommended for mild sleep apnea: Begin with a focus on lifestyle changes, and then, if your symptoms persist, move on to more advanced medical therapy.

Those advanced forms of therapy can include a CPAP prescription, although moderate sleep apnea treatment doesn’t always involve this particular option. At any rate, your specific diagnosis will vary depending on your personal health situation – including whether or not you have other conditions, such as diabetes.

But if your sleep apnea is considered to be less than severe – meaning that you experience fewer than 30 instances of stopped or shallow breathing per hour, according to the AHI scale – then your doctor or sleep therapist may recommend some changes to your lifestyle.

Moderate sleep apnea treatment options: Lifestyle changes

In addition to helping ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), lifestyle changes also provide the benefit of improved health in general. Here’s a guide to the most common lifestyle changes, as well as resources to help you get started with each of them.

Weight Loss. One of the most common starting points for moderate sleep apnea treatment – or treatment of any level of OSA, for that matter – is losing weight. Why? Because obesity can swell tissues that cause obstructed breathing, which can cause sleep apnea. So, many doctors prefer to start with weight loss before moving on to more advanced treatment.

Pro tips: There are hundreds of weight loss programs out there. If you filter out the fad diets and focus on the sensible weight loss goals themselves, you’ll find that most of them have the same elements in common. Here are some good summaries of those goals:

• “Our 25 best weight-loss tips from over the years” from USA Today
• “11 simple weight loss tips” from CNN
• Overview of diet planning from the Mayo Clinic

Tobacco cessation. If you smoke, you may be able to improve your sleep apnea symptoms by cutting out tobacco. “Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than are people who’ve never smoked,” reports the Mayo Clinic. “Smoking may increase the amount of inflammation and fluid retention in the upper airway. This risk likely drops after you quit smoking.”

Pro tips: There’s no shortage of info available online geared to helping smokers break the habit. If you find yourself in that boat, consider the following resources:

• “Guide to Quitting Smoking” from the American Cancer Society
• “How to Quit Smoking” from the Canadian Lung Association
• “25 Ways to Stop Smoking Cigarettes” from Reader’s Digest

Alcohol reduction. Alcohol, along with sedatives and tranquilizers, can relax your throat muscles, causing blockage and leading to sleep apnea. If this is one of the factors causing your sleep apnea, cutting back on alcohol may help turn the tide in your favor.

Pro tip: “Tips on cutting down” from the UK’s National Health Service is a great place to start for those who want to reduce their drinking habits but don’t necessarily want to stop cold turkey.

Changing your sleep habits. For some people, sleep apnea is present only when sleeping on their back. “Such people can eliminate or reduce airway blockage simply by learning to sleep on their side,” advises the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA).

Pro tip: The ASAA goes on to recommend this method for learning to sleep on your side: Put a tennis ball in a sock, then pin the sock to the back of the pajama top.

Pro tip: “The condition of your mattress will often dictate your sleep position,” adds WebMD. “If you have an old, worn-out mattress that sags in the middle, sleeping on your side or stomach is more difficult.”