You may need to use it for the rest of your life.

However, airway or weight-related bariatric surgery to treat underlying causes can sometimes mean CPAP is no longer needed.

Lifestyle changes also may reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people.

Man with a CPAP machine in bed

AndreyPopov / Getty Images

Is CPAP Use Needed Forever?

CPAP remains the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment even as other effective treatments continue to emerge.

CPAP Machine and a Sleep Apnea Cure

CPAP is not a cure for sleep apnea.

For many people diagnosed with sleep apnea, CPAP use remains necessary and offers benefits across a lifetime.

CPAPdevicesare getting smaller, quieter, easier to use, and less intrusive.

Alternativesto CPAP exist, and more are being developed all the time.

Positional sleep therapy can help, too.

The results of asleep studyand other diagnostic tests will determine the sleep apnea intervention needed, including CPAP.

Other studies suggest semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy can improve apnea symptoms as well as boost weight loss.

Results are mixed, though, and more study is needed on Prozac and other potential drug treatments.

It only works while you are actually using the CPAP gadget.

If not, long-term use of a CPAP machine may be necessary.

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