Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is carried out using a machine that helps a patient of sleep apnea to breathe normally while sleeping. The machine is used to build up a certain level of air pressure inside the patient's throat, preventing it from collapsing when inhaling. The CPAP machine is to be used every night by the patient when sleeping.

Regular use of CPAP machines can prevent hypertension, albeit in an indirect way. Sleep apnea can cause symptoms of hypertension to arise in a person, and continuous positive airway pressure, by preventing the manifestation of sleep apnea in the patient, can keep his/her blood pressure at normal levels.

Continuous positive airway pressure consists of a mask that is to be worn around the nose, and special prongs which are slotted into the patient's nostrils. The initial experience of wearing the mask may be slightly uneasy for many individuals, and it can take a while to get used to it. In some cases, the mask may need to be calibrated specifically to suit the patient's comfort.

CPAP is widely used around the world as one of the most popular noninvasive methods of treating sleep apnea, and it can even be used to deal with the most extreme cases of this condition.