Sleep apnea is a condition that is not just a nuisance. It can also be life threatening for some people. Because of this, you need to learn all you can about what causes it and what treatments you can have against it. This article will get you headed in the right direction.
A common reason that people have sleep apnea is due to the extra pounds on their bodies. Every attempt should be made to lose weight if a person is overweight and has sleep apnea. The simplest way to take off the weight is to eat fewer calories and engage in daily exercise. Some studies suggest that limiting carbohydrate intake can lead to weight loss, as well.
Do you partake in a drink or smoke? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. These types of substances restrict your airways. Smoking swells up your airways, while drinking depresses your nervous system and muscles into excess relaxation. This can both cause and exacerbate sleep apnea. If you must continue with these habits, avoid doing them before bed.
Talk to your doctor about a CPAP device if your sleep apnea is severe. You should take the size and potential to make noise into consideration. There are CPAP machine which are easily portable and produce little noise. Your doctor will be familiar with them, so be sure to tap his knowledge.
Avoid alcohol before bed as much as possible. Consuming alcohol causes your muscles to relax too much. You might want this consequence of consuming alcohol, but it also instigates sleep apnea. Like the rest of your muscles, those around your throat and airway relax under the influence of alcohol, making it harder for you to maintain a proper air passage. If you can’t give up drinking completely, at least make an effort to moderate your intake and avoid having alcohol in the hours leading up to your bedtime.
Go to the doctor to get a mouth guard that is custom made. These special guards are designed to help people who suffer with sleep apnea. It is a great alternative to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and is much more comfortable to wear at night. Your airway will stay open wider and the guard will provide added stability for your throat.
Sleep while on your side. Often, sleep apnea sufferers rest while on their backs. When you sleep on your back, tissue can block your throat and airways. Side-sleeping can improve your breathing. If you have trouble staying off of your back, sew a tennis ball into the back of your sleeping clothes. This will help you stay on your side while you’re sleeping.
Reduce your consumption of alcohol. Alcohol relaxes the muscles too much. While this is often considered a desirable effect, it can lead to sleep apnea. Alcohol has an effect on throat muscles and it can hurt your body. While it’s not vital that alcohol be avoided 100%, do what you can to make sure you do not drink it before a nap or nighttime sleep.
You need a regular sleep schedule if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your sleep condition already disrupts your sleep cycle nightly. This is why it is important to maintain a consistent sleep pattern, which will eliminate sleepiness in the day. Go to sleep and wake up each day on a regular schedule and this schedule should be used on the weekends, too.
A diagnosis of sleep apnea is performed by analyzing your medical history as well as your family history, followed by a physical exam. Sleep studies may also be done, and depending on what your primary doctor finds after all these measures, he may refer you to a sleep specialist, which is a type of doctor that diagnoses and treats people exhibiting sleep problems.
You need to make sure you have a medical ID on you if you use a CPAP and have sleep apnea. You need to have a way of letting medical personnel know about your condition if you are unconscious. Your ID should include your use of CPAP and the pressure level at which your CPAP must be set.
If you are dealing with sleep apnea, you never want to take any sleeping pills. Sleep medicines often contain relaxants which only make your airway more likely to collapse. If your sleep apnea is bad, these pills are even more dangerous. They may be tempting to use but you’ll be better off staying away from sleeping pills.
Stick to one regular pillow for sleeping on at night. When you use multiple pillows or an over-sized pillow, it can interfere with your position as you breathe. This means that your position is actually making it harder for you to breathe. Because of this, you should only sleep with a single pillow to combat sleep apnea.
If you’re admitted to the hospital, take your sleep apnea machine with you. Your CPAP and your mask should be with you for both planned stays and trips to an emergency room. It will already be at your personal settings and pressure, and be the mask you know you can sleep in. Having your own familiar equipment eases the strangeness of being in the hospital, and helps you sleep more restfully.
Take what steps you can to reduce the risk factors of sleep apnea you’re subject to. Some risks are inherent, such as family history or being male. If you are an alcoholic, a smoker or are overweight, changing these factors may eliminate your sleep apnea.
If you have sleep apnea, consider dropping some weight. Weight loss alone can be an effective treatment for those with mild sleep apnea. Even a few pounds can help your sleep apnea symptoms.
Sleep Apnea
If a person has sleep apnea and is overweight, they can often reduce their symptoms by losing some weight. If you are overweight it is more common that you might have sleep apnea. If you lose weight, it will improve air flow by reducing pressure on your airways.
Stop smoking for relief from sleep apnea. Your sleep apnea will worsen because smoking causes swelling in the upper respiratory system. Try to find a program to help you quit smoking. The majority of smokers say that the first month is the hardest. Past this point, your system is free of nicotine and the physical demands for the drug will drop off.
Sleep apnea will not magically disappear; patients will need to get it treated. Depending on the person, some treatment options will work well, while others will not. Losing weight will help minimize symptoms in many patients, but sleep apnea can occur in very thin individuals as well as those who are overweight. A CPAP machine has provided relief for millions of people. Some people find that they do best by having surgery that will help alleviate their symptoms. More importantly than what treatment you decide to get is that you actually get some form of treatment.
Playing a wind instrument is helpful. The music is enjoyable and helps to strengthen the muscles that you use to control your breathing. Strengthening these muscles can help you better control them when sleeping, which can lessen apnea symptoms.
Stop smoking if you have sleep apnea. Upper airways have a tendency to swell in smokers and increases the likelihood of sleep apnea. Common ways to quit smoking include smoking cessation programs and nicotine replacement products, such as gums. It is the initial 30 days that are the most trying. Following this, the nicotine dissipates and cravings are reduced.
How you physically sleep each night can really affect your sleep apnea. You need to find the right position. Sew a tennis ball into the back of your sleeping attire so that it will remind you during your sleep to stay on your side or stomach. If you have an adjustable bed, raise the head by several inches for the best position.
You can curtail the symptoms of this affliction by doing tongue exercises. For instance, press your tongue into the roof of your mouth for at least three minutes. Doing this strengthens your tongue and the connective throat muscles; this in turn makes them less likely to relax at night and constrict your breathing passages.
Hot Bath
Do not ignore your sleep apnea symptoms. Seek treatment. Sleep apnea is one condition that tends to steadily worsen the longer it’s left untreated. Don’t wait for this problem to get much worse, take control of it now if you believe you are suffering with sleep apnea.
If you have a history of anxiety, try getting in a hot bath before bed. This can relieve symptoms of anxiety induced sleep apnea. A hot bath will reduce your tension and make you feel more relaxed. This will help you get to sleep and stay asleep rather than having constant sleep apnea interruptions.
Throat exercises can decrease the severity of sleep apnea. Throat exercises build up the muscles around the airway, and can make them less likely to collapse. One exercise is to simply push your tongue up against the top of your mouth for a few minutes to strengthen throat muscles. You should practice this exercise once daily.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, try sleeping in a position other than on your back. Sleeping on the back causes the airway to block, preventing sound and restful sleep. You could try sleeping on your side or in a semi-reclining position propped up with pillows.
Oral appliances designed to encourage proper jaw position can help treat many sleep apnea cases. Some people have jaws that are too small or oddly shaped which makes it hard for air to flow freely. Your jaw can be aligned with a corrective device because air can flow more easily.
Sleep apnea is definitely a frustrating condition to deal with; this point is widely agreed upon. Life is hard not only for the sufferer of this condition, but also for those that surround them. Use this information to help you go about your treatment against sleep apnea.
Because apnea is not a problem of the nose, but rather a problem of the throat, making the throat stronger can have positive effects on controlling apnea symptoms. If you would like to know how to strengthen the throat muscles, then continue on and learn about some helpful exercises.
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