The contents of this article should be helpful to patients suffering from sleep apnea.
Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. Alcohol relaxes the tongue and throat muscles, which can cause them to block your airway; smoking inflames the airway, causing it to narrow. Both of these habits can cause snoring and apnea. Remember that surgery and medications are expensive. Correcting bad habits is free.
You must consider both the size and potential to make noise into consideration. Some machines can be quite small as a loaf of bread and be very quiet. A medical professional will be the most knowledgeable guide to the different CPAP machines that they know their patients have had very good luck with.
Do you occasionally drink alcohol? These items can really harm your airways. If you cannot get rid of these habits for good, at least avoid them prior to sleeping.
Try something other than sleeping pills. Similar to alcohol, sleeping pills will relax your throat and airways to an undesirable extent. They also lead to other issues that can cause many problems, especially for someone suffering with sleep apnea. Consult your doctor to find a sleep aid that won’t impact your breathing.
Sleep Apnea
Lose weight if you’re heavy. Studies show that sleep apnea and obesity can be related. If you are obese, you may see a marked difference in how your sleep apnea affects you.
Stick to one regular pillow for sleeping on at night. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. You’ll be resting in such a way that makes breathing difficult. So, you should stick to one pillow to help lessen any sleep apnea symptoms.
If you have been prescribed a CPAP for sleep apnea, you should at least use it four hours every night. It is hard for some patients to get used to sleeping with a CPAP. If you find it hard to get used to your CPAP, get at least four hours and try to add more time each night.
One way to see for yourself is to train a video camera on yourself. The video should also have audio to listen for any noises that occur during your sleep.
If you have a stuffy nose, use a saline spray or neti pot. This will help to clear your airways temporarily. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. Talk to your pharmacist about your options.
You will record the time you go to sleep and wake up, and any other symptoms you experience. Your partner can tell you if you snore loudly, stops in breathing and loud snoring. This can help your doctor diagnose the issue.
Consulting a doctor is important, but self-help options are available. Quitting smoking and losing weight are beneficial to anyone, but are even better for sleep apnea patients.You will definitely want to stay away from alcohol and caffeine, anything caffeinated and even heavier meals within the hours leading up to bed time.
Try an anti-snoring device. While apnea involves complete blockage of the airways, snoring is similar in that partial airway obstruction is what causes it. A device that can help with snoring may also work to help with apnea. If you have mild sleep apnea, an anti-snoring device may be enough to help with your condition.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can contribute to many serious health disorders if left untreated. If sleep apnea affects you, then it is critical you learn all that you are able to regarding the condition. When you use the tips laid out here, you can be sure you are doing all you can to save your health.
Tongue exercises are useful in reducing sleep apnea. The process is to simply press the tongue against the roof of the mouth and maintain this for at least three minutes. You will have less chance of your throat muscles relaxing and blocking your airway if you strengthen the muscles of your tongue and throat.