How Sleep Apnea Is Diagnosed And Treated

How Sleep Apnea Is Diagnosed And Treated

Sleep apnea is actually a rather dangerous medical condition which affects people of all age groups. However, there are a great deal of individuals who have no idea how to get treatment and continue to have poor sleep at night. This article will address some tips you can use to lessen the effects of sleep apnea and what you should do to treat it. Quitting smoking and drinking can relieve sleep apnea symptoms. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the back of the throat, which will cause an interference with breathing. Avoiding these temptations can put more money back in your pocket, and is a lot more cost effective than expensive surgeries that may no longer be necessary. A common reason for sleep apnea to occur is increased weight. Every attempt should be made to lose weight if a person is overweight and has sleep apnea. Try changing your diet and ramp up your activity level. After a couple of weeks you should see a difference with how much sleep apnea effects you. Sleep apnea can be a serious disorder. If you suspect you may have it, it is important to see your doctor right away. 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.

Sleep Apnea

It is not easy to tell if you are suffering from sleep apnea if you don't sleep with someone who can describe your sleep patterns. Record yourself to get a better picture of what is happening while you sleep. Ensure that you record audio also, which will allow the doctors to evaluate noises you are making during sleep. If your sleep apnea is the result of narrow airways, try using a mouth guard when you sleep. Mouth guards help you breathe more throughout the night, which will reduce sleep apnea symptoms from arising. Talk to your physician about a mouth guard you can wear during sleep to help you control your condition. Your physician might ask you to start and maintain a sleep log to get a better grasp on your diagnosis. You will record the time you go to sleep and wake up, whether you woke up during the night and how you felt when you woke up each morning. Your partner can help with that, as they know whether you are a loud snorer or jerk about. This can help the doctor determine if you actually have sleep apnea. Do you occasionally drink or smoke? Rid yourself of those bad habits. Alcohol and tobacco both cause airway problems. When you smoke you can harm your lungs, and it can be hard for you to breathe at night. Alcohol has a similarly negative effect. If you cannot get rid of these habits for good, make an effort to avoid smoking or drinking before you go to bed. Maintain a regular sleeping schedule if you suffer from sleep apnea. Your condition is already disrupting your nightly sleep cycle. A routine sleep pattern will discourage the condition from getting worse. Begin by setting a specific time to lie down and rise every day. Then stick to it. Talk to your doctor to find out if a sleep mouth guard will work for your apnea. There may be genetic reasons you suffer from sleep apnea. Your airway may be naturally thin or your jaw may interfere with breathing during sleep. Special mouthpieces can help to maintain proper alignment while you sleep, allowing you to rest much better. If you have a CPAP machine, carry your medical ID. This will let emergency personnel and others know you use a CPAP for sleep apnea. This ID should say that you have apnea, that you use CPAP, and that your machine has to be set at a certain pressure level. Playing with some wind instruments can help get rid of your sleep apnea. Researchers around the world have implied that the musical instrument, the didgeridoo, can be used to make airway muscles stronger. This muscle group manages airway dilation and stiffening. Because of this, playing it regularly can help you breathe better when you sleep. 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. The settings will be prepared and you won't have to adjust the pressure. It will be much simpler to continue using a CPAP machine in the hospital if you don't have to deal with unfamiliar equipment. Try using a mouth guard to help you sleep. Mouth guards help keep your jaw in a proper position. It is a more comfortable alternative to using a CPAP machine. The soft tissues are given the support that they need to keep the airways open. Use a single, normal-sized pillow for sleeping. If you use very thick pillows or many pillows, you may end up sleeping at an odd angle that hurts the free flow of air through your airways. This causes you to lie in a way where breathing is more difficult. Because of this, you should really just have one good pillow to help with symptoms of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea

Get rid of as many sleep apnea factors as possible. Some things you can't help, of course. Be this as it may, smokers, drinkers and those who are overweight can reduce their risks. Eating healthy foods consistently can reduce your weight and sleep apnea symptoms. Many people may be surprised how much a poor diet plays in the symptoms of sleep apnea. Good nutrition can help many medical conditions, including sleep apnea. If you have sleep apnea, you should not drink excessively. Drinking can relax the throat muscles too much, and that can cause airways to be blocked as well as snoring. Limit drink consumption to no more than two or quit drinking completely prior to bed. Limiting your alcohol consumption will increase your chances of getting a lot of good rest. Try not to drink alcohol as much. Alcohol has a relaxing effect on all your muscles. Although many people desire this side-effect of alcohol, it is not beneficial to people with sleep apnea. Alcohol has an effect on throat muscles and it can hurt your body. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep. How you sleep each night can determine the quality of sleep you get and how bad your sleep apnea really is. That is why it is important to sleep in the best position. Lift your body up by using a foam wedge at the top of the bed. Another option is raising your bed's top a minimum of four inches. Sleep apnea is usually diagnosed after a thorough medical examination. You might also undergo a sleep study. Dependent upon what your personal physician discovers, they might give you a referral to see a sleep specialist. Anxiety is a common result of sleep apnea, so think about relaxing baths prior to bed. Soaking in a warm bath relaxes your muscles and reduces your stress. This makes it easier to get to sleep and stay asleep. It also reduces the number of sleep apnea episodes that occur.

Sleep Apnea

If you have sleep apnea, take the advice of several scientific studies and try doing some throat exercises. By building up the muscles that surround the airway, such exercises can reduce the likelihood of muscular relaxation and airway constriction during sleep. One such exercise is to use your tongue and press on the top of your mouth. Maintain this pressure for around three minutes before releasing. Perform this exercise once per day. You may not even realize you have sleep apnea. If you have no wife or husband to tell you, you be unaware you stop breathing at night. You can remedy this problem by setting up a recorder that can film you while you're sleeping at night. Make sure any video you make includes an audio stream, since certain noises are clues that you may suffer from sleep apnea. Some corrective oral devices can aid in the treatment of sleep apnea. It is not uncommon for people to have jaw shapes that create a narrow airway. A corrective device will alter the jaw alignment and allow greater passage of air. As you know, many people have to deal with sleep apnea. People continue to suffer when they aren't aware of what sleep apnea is and how it can be treated. The more you learn, the better off you will be and the greater control you will have of your sleep apnea. Many people think of sleep apnea as a problem surrounding the nose, but really strengthening your throat muscles is the key. You can learn a bunch of exercises that can help you get rid of sleep apnea.