Many people don’t realize that sleep apnea can be potentially fatal over time if not diagnosed and treated by a doctor. This is why it’s important for sleep apnea sufferers to educate themselves on the condition’s causes and the different treatment options available to them. By reading the article that follows, it is possible to get a good start on doing just that.
Do you smoke or drink alcoholic beverages? Eliminate these unhealthy habits. These items can harm your airways. Smoking can cause your airways to swell up while alcohol will make your airway more relaxed, which can cause sleep apnea. If you cannot get rid of these habits for good, make an effort to avoid smoking or drinking before you go to bed.
Losing some harmful vices to fight off sleep apnea. As with many other health problems, alcohol and tobacco will worsen sleep apnea. Drinking causes respiratory depression, which makes it more difficult to breathe. Cigarettes can hurt your lungs, possibly even causing lung cancer. Doing away with both of these bad habits will help do away with your sleep apnea symptoms.
Avoid drinking much alcohol. Alcohol relaxes the muscles too much. Although many people desire this side-effect of alcohol, it is not beneficial to people with sleep apnea. Your throat muscles relax too much from alcohol, which means trouble of your body to manage breathing. If drinking is an important part of your life, restrict the amount of alcohol you consume and drink it earlier in the day.
Try cutting out cigarettes and alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Both of these bad habits can cause the airway muscles to relax, which makes you snore and adds to the symptoms of sleep apnea. Giving up these habits can save you a lot of money as compared to expensive surgical procedures that might be needed later if you continue.
Children can suffer from sleep apnea, also. Signs of sleep apnea in kids includes hyperactivity, hostility and breathing through their mouth. These symptoms can be similar to those of ADHD, so consult a doctor and consider both conditions.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a serious health condition. If you have symptoms of sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor. An official diagnosis might mean consultation with a sleep specialist, a sleep test and monitoring to get a whole grasp on your situation.
If you have sleep apnea and you’re overweight, try shedding those pounds. Research has shown a clear link between sleep apnea and obesity. Losing twenty five pounds is enough for even the most obese of sleep apnea sufferers to experience some relief of their symptoms, and you may well experience positive results with more modest losses.
Sleep on your side in order to get some better sleep. Sleeping on your back makes your airway more prone to collapse. Try to fall asleep in a side position, and discover if that relieves your sleep apnea tonight.
If you want relief from sleep apnea symptoms, one way to get it is to start playing a woodwind instrument. Researchers in Germany have suggested that the didgeriddo can improve upper airway muscles. These muscles are responsible for opening and closing your airway, as well as controlling the stiffness of the airway. So, if you play this instrument on a daily basis, it will help to limit the sleep apnea symptoms which in turn will give you a good night’s sleep.
Don’t take sleeping pills if you can avoid it. Just like alcohol, taking sleeping pills will make your throat muscles relax. They can also contribute to a large variety of things that are problematic to those who suffer from sleep apnea. Consult your physician to find out about possible ways to get to sleep to faster that won’t react poorly with your sleep apnea.
A diagnosis of sleep apnea usually involves your personal and family medical histories, as well as a comprehensive physical examination. Sleep studies may be included in the equation, and it may be necessary to involve a sleep specialist.
If you aren’t sleeping with a partner each night who can let you know of any irregularities in your sleeping patterns, it can be hard to know if you have this condition. Or you can record yourself as you sleep to look at your sleeping patterns. Whatever video system you set up also need an audio component, since your physicians are going to need to hear the sounds you make.
Try to avoid sleeping pills when you’re suffering from sleep apnea. The pills may relax the throat muscles so much that your airways do not function properly. These pills can lead to a very dangerous situation if your case is bad, especially when tempted to try and get a good night’s sleep.
If you use a CPAP, then ensure a medical ID is carried with you at all times. This will let emergency personnel and others know you use a CPAP for sleep apnea. The identification should say that you suffer from apnea and that you need a CPAP set at a particular pressure level.
An excellent method of reducing your sleep apnea symptoms is simply losing some weight. Sometimes, losing weight is all it takes to get rid of sleep apnea. Even if you lose just a few pounds, you will notice a difference. This helps to open the airways.
Don’t forget to bring your CPAP along when you need to stay in the hospital. You need to take your CPAP machine with you whenever you go to the ER or any routine hospitalization, such as for surgery. While they may have a machine for you to use, your machine is already preset for your specific settings and has the mask you are already accustomed to wearing. These things will make it much easier to continue your CPAP therapy while you are hospitalized.
Try using a nasal spray for an irritated nose. This should clear your airways, at least temporarily. However, you should not continuously use nasal sprays as this may cause nose damage. Visit your pharmacy to see what your options are for keeping your nasal passages open as you sleep.
Sleep apnea sufferers should treat their allergies promptly. It will help you breath better in general, especially during your sleep. You do not need anything else reducing your ability to get air while you sleep. You need to keep your airways open, and remedying the slightest nasal condition will help you sleep better throughout the night.
Snoring devices may serve your needs with sleep apnea. While apnea involves complete blockage of the airways, snoring is similar in that partial airway obstruction is what causes it. So, it makes sense that a device that helps with the former can help with the latter. Devices that reduce or eliminate snoring can lessen sleep apnea symptoms.
Talk to your doctor before using a humidifier, mouth guard or nasal strips in conjunction with your CPAP sleep mask. Moist, warm air will help you get a better night’s sleep and make it easier to keep up with the CPAP therapy. Try and get a CPAP machine that has a humidifier built into it; your doctor should be able to point you in the right direction.
Try losing weight to deal with your sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is correlated with being fat and having a large neck. A person with sleep apnea can breathe a lot easier without all that extra weight on them.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, consider being fitted for a corrective oral device. That is due to the fact that some people have a jaw that naturally makes their airway narrow. Proper jaw alignment for easy breathing during sleep is possible thanks to corrective mouth guards.
Always discuss your sleep apnea problem with your doctor, but also try some self-help treatments. If you lose weight and stop smoking, these are good decisions, especially if sleep apnea is a problem for you. You will also want to avoid alcohol, caffeine or heavy meals within a couple hours of going to bed.
If you think that sleep apnea is something you may have, it is best to consult with a doctor right away and get a sleep test. Such a test can both diagnose the presence of sleep apnea and determine to what extent you’re afflicted with it. The next step is to find a treatment for your problem, even if you have a very mild case of sleep apnea.
Your sleep position determines a lot in terms of your bouts of sleep apnea. Because of this, your sleeping position should be the best possible one. Use a foam wedge or body pillow to lift your upper body. Or, if you are up for it, raise up the top part of your bed itself four to six inches.
If you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, try not to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your back may cause the airways to become restricted or collapse while you sleep, which makes sleep apnea worse. To counter the effects of gravity on your throat muscles, it’s best to sleep in a sideways position.
Sometimes anxiety might arise if you get sleep apnea, so take a shower to get rid of your stress. Soaking in a hot tub will alleviate tension and relax your muscles. This will help you get to sleep and stay asleep rather than having constant sleep apnea interruptions.
Sleep apnea is really a problem with your throat, not your nose, this is why you should try and increase strength in your throat muscles. There are many exercises that can strengthen throat muscles.
It is inarguable that sleep apnea is extremely taxing. The interruption of sleep and the feeling of being uncomfortable every day is something that drives a sleep apnea sufferer crazy, and it really makes their life unbearable for themselves and for the people they love. Utilize the tips you’ve just learned so that you can effectively deal with sleep apnea.
Keep in contact with your practitioner after you find out you have sleep apnea. This way you can talk to them about your progress. Plan on keeping in touch with your doctor and letting them know about how the treatment is going.
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