Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to stop breathing while you sleep. It occurs when your brain fails to trigger your muscles to breathe regularly or when your airways–including your nasal passages–are blocked.
Sinus surgery is an option that many consider to manage sleep apnea, but is it effective? Current research doesn’t provide any conclusive evidence to support sinus surgery as the best medicine for sleep apnea. However, some studies suggest that it could be good for those with mild to moderate cases of the disorder.
What Is Sinus Surgery?
Your sinuses are cavities within your skull that make up your airway system. They make mucus that drains out your nasal passages, keeping your nose clean and free of bacteria, allergens, and other pathogens.
Sinus surgery is a procedure that typically involves removing blockages, such as polyps or cysts, in your sinuses to reduce inflammation and limit possible infections. As such, it can be an option for sleep apnea patients who want to improve airflow in their noses and prevent breathing disruptions during their sleep.
Septoplasty and turbinate reduction are the most common types of nasal surgery for addressing sleep apnea. These procedures enlarge the septum or turbinates to allow air to more freely flow through them.
Does Sinus Surgery Help with Sleep Apnea?
More research is needed to determine if sinus surgery definitely helps with sleep apnea. Existing studies provide mixed results.
In a 2022 systematic review, it was found that isolated nasal surgery didn’t improve the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI–the combined average number of disrupted breathing periods that occur per hour of sleep) in the majority of studies that were analyzed. However, the meta-analysis suggested a slight decrease in AHI after nasal surgery, though this was still not clinically relevant enough to recommend the procedure as a first-line approach for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Similarly, a 2014 study on the impact of combined nasal surgery and endoscopic sinus surgery on OSA showed only a slight improvement in AHI in a certain group of patients. The authors determined that it doesn’t cure OSA nor does it have any significant clinical impact.
On the other hand, in 2021, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery published a position statement claiming that “nasal surgery is a beneficial modality for the treatment of OSA.” It said that nasal surgery can improve compliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), referencing a comparative study that demonstrated how septoplasty and inferior turbinate reduction led to better CPAP adherence in patients.
The paper also suggested that nasal surgery can “improve quality of life in patients with sleep apnea,” and concludes that “nasal surgery as the sole intervention may effectively treat OSA in a subset of patients.”
Should I Get a Sinus Surgery for My Sleep Apnea?
Sinus surgery could aid in some cases of sleep apnea, but it’s not the singular solution to managing the disorder. Before you decide whether or not to undergo the procedure, consult with your doctor to explore all of your available options–especially if you’re experiencing a more serious case of OSA.
Several alternative methods are available for dealing with sleep apnea, such as CPAP mechanisms like nose masks for sleep apnea or other doctor-recommended interventions like braces for sleep apnea. Natural remedies, such as supplements, breathing techniques, and lifestyle and diet changes, can also be extremely helpful.
Learn more about these approaches for sleep apnea on our website and check out our book, Sleep Apnea Solution, today!
