Is it curable? | Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Is it curable?

The chances of healing are of course always dependent on the individual findings. In principle, however, if the therapy is followed consistently and a change in lifestyle is made, a significant improvement or even disappearance of the symptoms can be achieved. Weight loss alone usually leads to a significant alleviation of the symptoms.

If it is carried out in a controlled manner and maintained over the long term, an obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can even be cured. Also the renouncement of alcohol and nicotine can take considerable effects on the healing process. And last but not least, the blood pressure should be within the normal range, so that a cure can be consistently aimed at.

In the case of pronounced anatomical findings, a cause-oriented therapy in the form of a surgical intervention can of course greatly improve sleep apnoea symptoms or even make them disappear completely. Especially the surgical widening of the airways can under certain circumstances completely eliminate the problem, so that in some cases one can speak of healing. Only the central sleep apnoea syndrome has less chance of recovery, since this clinical picture usually originates from other chronic diseases. These are usually already in a state that is no longer curable, but if the therapeutic measures are consistently followed, it is also possible to control the symptoms and prevent further consequences.

Prognosis

If CPAP therapy is regularly administered for sleep apnoea syndrome, restful sleep is also possible, which has positive effects: patients are less tired during the day, their performance increases and the risk of accidents is reduced, as microsleep occurs less frequently. In sleep apnea patients with high blood pressure, a reduction in blood pressure of about 10mmHg can occur. The patients are more balanced and the sleeping behaviour of the partners improves as well, since during the apnoea phases they are often worried that breathing will stop completely and not just pause. In addition, the quality of their night’s sleep can also be improved by stopping their partner’s snoring.How it can be achieved is explained in detail in our next article: How can snoring be prevented?