Editing Sleep apnea (section)

===Continuous positive airway pressure===
[[File:Cpapanwender.jpg|thumb|Person using a CPAP mask, covering only the nose]]
[[File:CPAP device on a nightstand.jpg|thumb|CPAP device on a nightstand]]
{{see also|Continuous positive airway pressure}}
For moderate to severe sleep apnea, the most common treatment is the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or automatic positive airway pressure (APAP) device.<ref name=SleepApneaTreatments>{{cite web |url=http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_Treatments.html |title=How Is Sleep Apnea Treated? |publisher=[[National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013043521/http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/SleepApnea/SleepApnea_Treatments.html |archive-date=13 October 2007 }}</ref><ref name=2012review/> These splint the person's airway open during sleep by means of pressurized air. The person typically wears a plastic facial mask, which is connected by a flexible tube to a small bedside CPAP machine.<ref name=SleepApneaTreatments/>

Although CPAP therapy is effective in reducing apneas and less expensive than other treatments, some people find it uncomfortable. Some complain of feeling trapped, having chest discomfort, and skin or nose irritation. Other side effects may include dry mouth, dry nose, nosebleeds, sore lips and gums.<ref name=AHRQ2011/>

Whether or not it decreases the risk of death or heart disease is controversial with some reviews finding benefit and others not.<ref name="Spi20152"/><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Yu J, Zhou Z, McEvoy RD, Anderson CS, Rodgers A, Perkovic V, Neal B | title = Association of Positive Airway Pressure With Cardiovascular Events and Death in Adults With Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | journal = JAMA | volume = 318 | issue = 2 | pages = 156–166 | date = July 2017 | pmid = 28697252 | pmc = 5541330 | doi = 10.1001/jama.2017.7967 }}</ref><ref name="pmid36278514" /> This variation across studies might be driven by low rates of compliance—analyses of those who use CPAP for at least four hours a night suggests a decrease in cardiovascular events.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Gottlieb DJ | title = Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Reduce Cardiovascular Risk?: It Is Far Too Soon to Say | journal = JAMA | volume = 318 | issue = 2 | pages = 128–130 | date = July 2017 | pmid = 28697240 | doi = 10.1001/jama.2017.7966 }}</ref>