Home » Health Conditions » Neurology » Sleeping Disorders

Causes and Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea Diagnosis

  • Sleep apnea is just one of the common sleeping disorders. It’s when a person doesn’t breathe while sleeping for assorted periods of time during their REM sleep
  • Some sleep apnea remedies include: a sleep apnea pillow, CPAP machine and nose strips to open breathing pathways


Sleep apnea is a common condition that many people have to deal with. In many cases the sleep apnea is mild and requires no intervention. There are many sleep apnea causes and many sleep apnea remedies to help you or your doctor make a sleep apnea diagnosis. In severe cases it is best to consult your health care provider as sleep apnea can be very dangerous, and in some cases deadly.

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which the person has periods of interrupted breathing while asleep. The person often has an obstructed airway that causes these periods of not breathing. There are many other causes of sleep apnea. Some of these causes cannot be helped, but there are some causes of sleep apnea that can helped by certain sleep apnea remedies. Without surgery however, there are no sleep apnea cures per say. There are sleep apnea remedies that can alleviate the symptoms of the disorder.

Before a sleep apnea diagnosis can be made there are some home sleep apnea remedies you should try first. People with sleep apnea should sleep on their sides instead of their backs. This puts less pressure on the airway and may help the person be able to breathe better while asleep. Another thing to try at home is to go to bed at the same time every night. Studies have shown that a consistent bed time and sleeping pattern helps alleviate the symptoms in some sufferers. Another one of the causes of sleep apnea is cigarette smoking. Along with a multitude of detrimental effects, smoking makes overall breathing more difficult and this can be manifested in sleep apnea.


If these home remedies do not work then it is time to see your health care professional so they can make an official sleep apnea diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is made, your doctor will try many treatments for a sleep apnea cure. He will suggest that you try all the remedies that you can do at home. Then he may order a sleep study so he or she can get a first hand look at how you sleep. If he or she determines that the problem is severe they may have you try some devices to help keep your airway open during sleep. One of these devices is called a nose strip. They are easy to use; they are just adhesive strips that keep the nose open to promote better breathing. The next step is to send you home with what is called a CPAP machine. This device sends light air pressure to the airway to keep it open. While cumbersome and difficult to get used to but in most cases can be a so called sleep apnea cure.

If none of these remedies work, as a last resort your doctor will evaluate the need for surgery to keep your airway open and allow you to breathe during sleep. This is an extreme step but for some it is the only thing left to give them relief.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.

2 Responses to “Causes and Treatment of Sleep Apnea”

  1. 1
    Chris Says:
    I was suffering from this for years. I didn't know it and it caused irreparable damage to my heart. Now I use a CPAP machine with a "nasal pillow" mask. It's much more comfortable than the over the nose mask pictured in the article.
  2. 2
    Veronica Says:
    I think my husband has this as every so often I will lay in bed and listen to him breath and hear nothing before he gasps. After reading this article I need to convince him to go.