Is Sleep Apnea Curable? When It Can Go Away and When It Will Not
This page is general information. It is not medical advice. Talk to your clinician about your own health. If you have chest pain, signs of a stroke or severe trouble breathing, call 911 or go to an emergency room.
Sometimes. Cleveland Clinic says there is no cure for every type of sleep apnea, but weight loss or surgery may cure obstructive sleep apnea in some people. For most adults it is something you manage, the way you manage blood pressure. The only way to know if yours is gone is to be tested again.
At a glance.
- Obstructive sleep apnea can improve or go away when the thing blocking the airway changes.
- Central sleep apnea depends on its cause, like heart failure or certain medicines.
- Feeling better is not proof it is gone. A repeat sleep study is.
- Never stop CPAP or another treatment without talking to your clinician first.
Why the Answer Depends on the Type
NHLBI describes two main types. In obstructive sleep apnea, the upper airway gets blocked many times while you sleep. In central sleep apnea, the brain does not send the signals needed to breathe. They have different causes, so the chance of them going away is different too.
Obstructive sleep apnea is by far the more common type. Most of this page is about it. If you have been told you have central sleep apnea, the question to ask your clinician is what is causing it, because that cause is what decides the outlook.
What Causes Obstructive Sleep Apnea
NHLBI lists a mix of causes and risk factors. Some can change. Some cannot.
- Extra weight, which can add fat around the neck that narrows the airway
- Large tonsils, a large tongue or a thick neck
- Alcohol, which relaxes the throat muscles, and smoking, which inflames the airway
- Hormone conditions like thyroid problems or PCOS
- Age, since airway tissue changes over time
- Genes, which shape the skull, face and airway
Look at that list again. Weight, alcohol, smoking and some hormone problems can change. The shape of your jaw and your age mostly cannot. That is the core of the answer. When sleep apnea is driven by something that can change, it has a real chance of getting better. When it is driven by how you are built, it usually stays.
When It Can Go Away
Weight loss. Cleveland Clinic names weight loss as one path that may cure obstructive sleep apnea. NHLBI lists keeping a healthy weight among the lifestyle changes for treatment, and it notes that a weight loss medicine has recently been approved by the FDA for moderate to severe sleep apnea in people with obesity. Losing weight does not fix sleep apnea for everyone, though. People with a narrow airway can have it at any weight.
Surgery that removes the blockage. NHLBI lists surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids as a treatment for children, depending on the cause. Adults have surgical options too, such as removing airway tissue or moving the jaw forward. Whether surgery fits you is a decision for a specialist after an exam.
Removing a trigger. NHLBI lists opioid use among the risk factors for central sleep apnea, and heart failure and stroke as others. When a medicine or a treatable condition is part of the cause, treating that cause may help. Do not stop or change any medicine on your own. Ask the clinician who prescribed it.
When It Usually Stays
For many adults, sleep apnea is long term. The treatments work while you use them. A CPAP machine or an oral appliance keeps the airway open at night, but it does not change the airway itself. If you stop using it, the pauses in breathing come back.
That can feel discouraging. It helps to think of it like glasses. Glasses do not cure poor eyesight, but nobody calls them a failure. A treatment you can live with every night is the goal.
Feeling Better Is Not the Same as Being Cured
Many people feel much better within weeks of starting treatment. That is the treatment working. It is not a sign the condition is gone.
Here is the trap. Someone feels great on CPAP, decides they are fine and stops. A few weeks later they are tired again and do not connect the dots. If you think your sleep apnea may have improved, say so to your clinician. They can decide whether a repeat test makes sense.
How You Would Know It Is Gone
A new sleep study is the honest answer. NHLBI says sleep studies may need to be repeated, especially if you gain or lose a lot of weight. Your clinician compares the new result with the old one. If the breathing pauses have dropped enough, they may change or stop your treatment.
Our guide to a home sleep test or a night in the lab explains the two kinds of test and when each one fits. Our post on what to expect at a sleep study walks through the night itself.
What You Can Do Now
- Keep using your treatment while you work on anything that might help, like weight or alcohol.
- Write down changes, like a big change in weight or a new medicine, and bring the list to your next visit.
- Ask about orofacial therapy. NHLBI lists exercises for the tongue, lips and face as one treatment option. Ask if it fits your case.
- Sleep on your side if your clinician says position matters for you. NHLBI lists side sleeping among the lifestyle changes.
- Book regular checkups. NHLBI says to schedule them to make sure your treatment is working.
Finding Someone to Ask
If you want a second look at your diagnosis or your treatment, our directory lists sleep apnea providers by state and city, and the lookup lets you search by name or place. A listing is not a referral, and we do not give medical advice.
Common Questions
Can sleep apnea go away on its own?
It can when its cause changes, such as after real weight loss or after a blocking problem like large tonsils is treated. It rarely goes away with nothing changing. Only a repeat sleep study can show that it is gone.
Will losing weight cure my sleep apnea?
It may. Cleveland Clinic names weight loss as one way obstructive sleep apnea may be cured. But people of any size can have it, so weight loss helps some people a lot and others much less. Ask your clinician whether to retest after a big change.
Can I stop using CPAP if I feel fine?
Not on your own. Feeling fine usually means the treatment is working. Stopping can bring the breathing pauses back. Talk to your clinician, who may order a new sleep study first.
Do children outgrow sleep apnea?
Some children get better when the cause is treated. NHLBI lists removing the tonsils and adenoids as one treatment for children, depending on the cause. If treatment is not working, NHLBI says to ask the provider about other options.
Keep Reading
- Sleep apnea treatment options explained
- CPAP alternatives
- Home sleep test or a night in the lab
- Find a provider with our lookup
- Sleep apnea providers in Ohio
- Sleep apnea providers in Kentucky
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic, Sleep Apnea
- NHLBI, What Is Sleep Apnea
- NHLBI, Sleep Apnea Causes and Risk Factors
- NHLBI, Sleep Apnea Treatment
- NHLBI, Living With Sleep Apnea
- NHLBI, Sleep Apnea in Children
NightWells publishes information, not medical advice. Nothing here replaces being seen by a clinician who can examine you.
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