[Medical treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome]

Although snoring may have deleterious effects by itself, its only clearly identified hazard is that of a social nuisance; therefore, treatment of snoring should before all make no harm. Conversely, the potential hazards of obstructive sleep apnea are well established, and it is clearly important to eliminiate sleep apneas. The medical treatments which may improve snoring and obstructive sleep apneas are basically the same. They include avoidance of risk factors such as obesity, alcohol and hypnotics as well as active treatments such as positional treatment, dental appliances and by nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure has become the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea, since it is both efficient and safe. Its only limitation is related to variable acceptance by patients.