Can sleep apnoea be treated?
Sleep apnoea is a potentially life-threatening condition associated with strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure and therefore requires medical attention. A sleep test called ‘polysomnography’ is usually carried out to diagnose sleep apnoea. Treatment varies according to severity of symptoms. Mild cases can be effectively treated through behavioural changes – losing weight, cutting down on alcohol or sleeping on your side, for example. More severe cases may be treated with a CPAP machine, so named because they maintain constant positive air pressure to the wind pipe to help users breathe easy at night. The benefits are better sleep and reduced risk of heart attacks during the night.
