title: Obstructive sleep apnea: therapies other than CPAP.
abstract: Nasal application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard form of therapy for treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Common difficulties associated with CPAP therapy include sense of dryness in the mouth, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion and dryness, mask discomfort, claustrophobia, irritation from device noise, aerophagy, chest discomfort and partner's intolerance. Therefore, many patients are unable to or unwilling to comply with the use of CPAP. This article discusses the various non-CPAP approaches that have been investigated in the management of OSA, which include behavioral therapy (weight loss and positional therapy), pharmacological treatment, mandibular advancement techniques and surgery. However, none of these has been shown to be superior to CPAP. In clinical practice, only selected patients will benefit from therapies other than CPAP.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Chhajed
authors.forename: Trupti P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Chhajed
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamm
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Strobel
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D017286:Polysomnography; D011379:Prognosis; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss