Hearing your doctor diagnose you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea can scare even the most strong-willed of people. It is vital that you know that sleep apnea can be a common problem, and while serious, it can be treated effectively.
You can both shed unwanted pounds and reduce the effects of sleep apnea with a nutritious and healthy diet. It may surprise you how much eating poorly can affect your sleep apnea symptoms. People who do not eat well, or are overweight, may suffer from sleep apnea.
Drop some of your vices to combat sleep apnea.Drinking alcohol and smoking are the biggest concerns. Drinking depresses the ability of your respiratory system to function. Smoking damages your airways.Dropping both these habits can help ease the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Get a mouth guard if your airways are the cause of your sleep at night. These devices are designed to correct your airways and they help you breathe properly.
Many people don’t realize that sleep apnea is not something to ignore and can be potentially dangerous if left untreated. If you feel some of the symptoms, then you need to consult a physician as quickly as you can. With an official diagnosis, you will have to see a sleep specialist and possibly a home based sleep test with a portable monitor to fully assess the condition.
Playing with some wind instrument can be beneficial to your sleep apnea problems. Researchers from Germany have suggested that practicing with the didgeriddo can improve upper airway muscles. These muscles control your airway and the stiffening of the airway walls.
Sleep Apnea
Get a chin strap to keep your mouth closed when you are sleeping with a CPAP or BIPAP machine. This inconspicuous piece of cloth will keep your chin up when you are asleep and your mouth from gaping open. CPAP devices don’t work well when your mouth is wide open, so this device can help.
It is not uncommon for children to be sleep apnea. If a child in your home shows symptoms like low grades in school, hostility, has poor grades, hyperactivity, inattention or mouth breathing, you should consider sleep apnea as a possibility to investigate. This may mimic ADHD, but you should have your doctor check out the possibility of sleep apnea to know for sure.
Many sufferers of sleep apnea also sleep on their backs. Sleeping one one’s back may cause constriction of the throat muscles. Sleeping on one’s side makes breathing significantly easier. If you think you might roll over anyway, prop yourself on your side using pillows.
If what you are doing at home isn’t working well enough to help your sleep apnea, then you should consult with a doctor to explore some additional treatment options. There are people that don’t respond well to traditional sleep apnea treatments, and sometimes they have to have surgery. This surgery may involve removing the adenoids, enlarging the airway or removing the tonsils.
Sleep Apnea
Weight loss can make a major impact on those with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is linked to people who are overweight and have a large neck circumference.
Just use one pillow when you sleep at night. When you use an over-sized pillow or multiple pillows, it can skew your position. As a result, you may find it more difficult to breathe normally. This means that one pillow is most appropriate to help alleviate your sleeping concerns.
Sleep apnea should not magically disappear; patients will need to get it treated. Some treatments work better for people and some do not. One thing that can help you is losing weight, but there are thin people who suffer from sleep apnea as well. Some other options include CPAP machine or other devices. Some prefer surgery when dealing with sleep apnea alleviation methods. Choose whichever method you think will work for you so you may begin to live a happier and comfortable life.
There is no need to be frightened by a diagnosis of sleep apnea. Be grateful that this affliction can be successfully managed. Take the information you learned here to help you deal with your sleep apnea disorder. Under improved circumstances that come from proper treatment, you can begin to overcome the challenges that sleep apnea poses to your daily living.
Don’t drink too much if you have sleep apnea. If you regularly drink, your throat muscles will relax too much, which will block your airways and cause snoring. Limit drink consumption to no more than two or quit drinking completely prior to bed. Doing this will prevent alcohol from disturbing your sleeping hours.