Once a diagnosis has been made, sleep apnea treatment becomes an instant priority.
The patient may have been suffering for many months or years with the side effects of the disorder and may even have become so used to their symptoms that they no longer notice them, but claiming back the ability to get proper, restorative sleep must be an absolute priority of both doctor and patient.
This is not to mention reducing the risks of stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease which are elevated in sufferers of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea treatment may not actually be uncomfortable or invasive, as some patients fear.
The pauses and interruptions in the breathing are caused when the tissue and muscle surrounding the windpipe relax too much and create an obstruction.
Sleep apnea treatment therefore aims to eliminate the blockage or reduce the likelihood of a blockage occurring.
The appropriate treatment depends on the individual patient and the severity of their sleep apnea.
The simplest form of sleep apnea treatment is sometimes called 'positional therapy.
' Whilst this name seems quite elaborate, this literally only relates to changing the sleeping position.
When sleeping on the back, there is more chance of the tongue slipping backwards down the throat encouraging blockages to form around the windpipe.
Patients are therefore advised to sleep on their sides.
Whilst this might seem simple, for some it is easier said than done and many patients find that they fall asleep on their side but soon roll back onto their backs.
An obscure but effective idea to rectify this is to place a tennis ball in a sock and pinning or sewing the sock onto the back of the patient's nightshirt.
Rolling onto the tennis ball is enough to wake them and they soon become conditioned to stay on their side.
Weight loss is not strictly considered a form of treatment, but because being overweight or obese is such a risk factor in the disorder any overweight patient will be asked to try and increase exercise and watch their diet to lose weight.
Other lifestyle factors include avoiding alcohol and relaxant drugs such as sleeping tablets as these further encourage the muscles to relax which can cause more apneas.
Sleep apnea treatment may involve the use of oral appliances which are worn to bring the lower jaw forwards and reduce the likelihood of blockages occurring.
They resemble rugby mouth guards and may be uncomfortable at first however they do have the added bonus of reducing or even stopping snoring.
Finally, there is CPAP, the highest standard of sleep apnea treatment for the most severe conditions.
The machines are expensive and often uncomfortable, taking a good deal of time to become accustomed to.
They work by pumping a continual flow of high pressure air into the windpipe to hold it open.