Don’t be scared if you’ve found out that you suffer from sleep apnea. Even though the condition can cause many health problems, you can treat the situation and lead a full life. You need to learn all you can about this condition though, which you will find in this article.
A common reason for sleep apnea to occur is increased weight. In this case, a person suffering from sleep apnea needs to lose this excess weight. Following a reasonable weight loss plan and exercising is essential. Reducing carbs in the diet may also help.
A common reason that people have problems with sleep apnea is due to excessive weight.
Sleeping Pills
Quit smoking and drinking. Both of these bad habits make the airways relax too much, making sleep apnea worse. Cutting out these habits actually saves you money, unlike other costly alternatives like surgery.
Try out different things besides sleeping pills. Sleeping pills can make you snore more by relaxing the muscles in an undesirable way. They also make other harmful issues to make your sleep apnea worse. Consult your physician on sleep remedies that won’t hinder your breathing.
Many people with sleep apnea also sleep looking straight up. Sleeping flat on your back may cause constriction of the throat muscles. Sleeping on one’s side makes breathing significantly easier. If you roll on your back when you sleep, you can try to prop pillows around yourself to prevent you from sleeping on your back.
Speak with your physician about getting a mouth piece that can help you breathe better. It may just be that your breathing passage is naturally narrow or your jaw is small. A device made to assist you during sleep can provide you with enough air to flow through your body.
Sleeping pills are bad to take for people with sleep apnea is your problem. Sleeping pills can interfere with your throat muscles and with your airways from functioning properly. These pills can become very dangerous if you have a bad case of sleep apnea; even though you might be tempted to use them to stay asleep, even if you just want to get to bed sooner.
If you are requiring a hospital visit, remember to pack your CPAP machine. Your CPAP and your mask should be with you whether you’re admitted to the hospital or visiting the emergency room.This lessens the stress of being away from home and enables you to continue the CPAP therapy during your hospital stay.
Eating healthier foods can help you deal with sleep apnea. It’s surprising how much an unhealthy diet can affect sleep apnea. People who eat unhealthily tend to have sleep apnea more often than those who eat healthier.
Treatment Options
If you have tried many treatment options and nothing works, you should talk to your doctor about some of the more drastic treatment options that are available. Some people don’t have any luck with conventional treatments, and resort to a surgical treatment that entails the removal of the adenoids and tonsils, or the enlargement of the airway.
Do not drink alcohol often. Alcohol naturally relaxes your muscles. People who are addicted to alcohol may learn that this is the cause of their apnea, and others who drink sporadically should know it affects them, too. Because alcohol relaxes your throat muscles, your airway is harder to control. 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.
Stick to one normal sized pillow for sleeping on at night.This makes you sleep in a position that can adversely affect your breathing. This is why you need just one single pillow is best to manage your symptoms.
Weight loss can be a big help for those with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is more common in patients who are overweight and having a large neck circumference.
If you do not have a partner to let you know how you sleep at night, it can be difficult to assess if you have sleep apnea. One way to see for yourself is to train a camcorder on yourself as you sleep. The video needs audio too so that the doctors can hear the noises you make.
Avoid alcohol when you are a sleep apnea sufferer.Alcohol will relax your throat muscles beyond normality and can block your passages. If you are going to drink, avoid all alcohol or make sure not to drink at all at least 4 hours before bedtime. This will lessen the problem of alcohol interrupting your sleep.
If your CPAP air is moist and humid, you have a higher chance of sleeping better and continuing your CPAP machine application. A lot of the CPAP machines now have a humidifier built in, so ask your doctor for a model like that.
It’s vital that you don’t use any type of sleeping pill when you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleeping pills can interfere with your throat muscles and with your airway. If you have sleep apnea it can be life threatening to take sleeping pills.
This forces you to lay on your back.
People who snore or even those who have sleep apnea may benefit from learning to play a wind instrument. This can help you keep control of your airways.
If you are using a CPAP and experience an issue with your mouth opening during sleep, a chin strap can help. The chin strap holds your chin so that you cannot sleep with your mouth open; it is a tiny piece of fabric. Use this device to solve this annoying problem, as leaving it unfixed will make your CPAP therapy ineffective.
Sleep Apnea
If you become anxious about your sleep apnea, soak in a bath before bedtime each night. A hot bath will reduce your muscles to help you feel more relaxed. This leaves you get to sleep and decreases the risk of a sleep apnea interruptions.
Reduce sleep apnea by shedding excess weight. It’s possible to get rid of this condition just by losing weight. Simply losing a small amount of weight can open your airways, improving your sleep apnea symptoms.
Some situations of sleep apnea may be treated by using corrective mouth pieces. These devices can align your jaw in a way that braces do the teeth.
People with sleep apnea should avoid sleeping on their backs. Your airways will be much more prone to collapsing if you sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side is ideal if you prevent sleep apnea; gravity won’t work against you.
You can reduce the risk factors for sleep apnea. Certain risk factors that are associated with the condition cannot be controlled, such as being a man or having a family history of it. Yet some risk factors are controllable, for example heaving drinking, smoking, and being obese.
Sleep apnea can harm your health if it’s left untreated. There is positive news though, as many treatments are available that can help you. Use what you learned in this article and consult with a doctor in order to help ensure that you’re staying in the best shape possible.