Living With Sleep Apnea After You Have Been Diagnosed

Living With Sleep Apnea After You Have Been Diagnosed

There are a lot of people out there who think that their excessive tiredness is just the way things are. This is completely false. Many people suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that everyone should be aware of. Drop some vices to combat sleep apnea. Smoking and drinking are some of the biggest offenders. The muscle-relaxing effects of alcohol are very hard on the whole respiratory system and lead to significant breathing problems. Smoking damages your lungs over time. Drop as many bad habits as you can as early as possible. Regular practice on a wind instrument can minimize some of your sleep apnea symptoms. A German study has shown that playing wind instruments such as the digeridoo will help your sleep apnea. You'll have better control over your airway's dilation and the stiffness of the surrounding tissues if you exercise these muscles. Due to this, regular play can translate into good sleep at night. Try quitting smoking and drinking alcohol if you have sleep apnea. Both smoking and drinking promote relaxation of the airways causing sleep apnea and excessive snoring. Unlike costly surgeries or other medical interventions, dropping these habits will actually save you money. Try using a mouth guard that's custom-fitted for you. These guards are designed for patients with sleep apnea. The mouth guard is more comfortable to use than a CPAP machine that works by applying constant positive airway pressure. A mouth guard will work by positioning the jaw and tongue in a helpful way that will allow for easier breathing while asleep. Children are susceptible to sleep apnea. Children who are frequently tired or who have a poor attention span may have sleep issues. Often these symptoms are similar to ADHD, but you need to talk to a physician and consider sleep apnea as a cause as well.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is very serious. It's important to seek medical advice as soon as you suspect you may be suffering from it. A doctor can refer you to a sleep lab if the doctor believes you have sleep apnea, and you can then get on the road to recovery if you have it. Don't drink alcohol to excess. Consuming alcohol causes your muscles to relax too much. Although many people desire this side-effect of alcohol, it is not beneficial to people with sleep apnea. When your throat muscles relax, your airway narrows and causes sleep apnea. If you absolutely have to have a drink, don't do as much as you used to. And avoid having one close to bedtime. Try to avoid sleeping pills. Similar to alcohol, sleeping pills will relax your throat and airways to an undesirable extent. Pills also can affect sleep apnea sufferers in several different ways. Ask your physician about sleep aids that won't also affect your breathing. Some cases of sleep apnea are quite severe. If you suspect you have sleep apnea, see your doctor right away. If you are diagnosed with the condition, your doctor may send you to a sleep specialist, as well as recommend a sleep test to monitor your condition. Sleep on your side as much as possible. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. Your airway can become obstructed if you sleep on your back. Instead, you should sleep on your side and that can help your breathe much better. Use pillows to force yourself to sleep sideways if you have a problem with rolling over once you are asleep. If you will be away from home and you're suffering with sleep apnea, always remember to bring along the CPAP machine with you. You don't want to sleep a single night without your CPAP after a sleep apnea diagnosis. Conveniently, your CPAP machine should have a bag included with it for easy travel. You can use this bag to allow you to transport your CPAP machine with ease when you're not home. Family history is one thing that doctors use to diagnosis sleep apnea. Sleep studies may also be done, and depending on what your primary doctor finds after all these measures, he may refer you to a sleep specialist, which is a type of doctor that diagnoses and treats people exhibiting sleep problems. Be sure to take your CPAP with you if you have sleep apnea and have to visit the hospital. Your CPAP machine should be with you whether you're admitted to the hospital or visiting the emergency room. This is because it is already customized to the pressure you need, and the mask won't be awkward. All of this will mean much better sleep for you with your CPAP, if you need hospitalization for any length of time. If you suffer from sleep apnea, do not take pills. These will make your throat muscles too soft, and your air passages will not work right. For those with severe cases of sleep apnea, using these pills can be quite dangerous. Avoid using them even if you are having trouble sleeping. If you are not having any luck managing your apnea, you may want to talk to a doctor about more radical treatments. 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. If you are not experiencing success at overcoming your sleep apnea, you may want to take more serious measures. A small percentage of patients don't react to the common treatments, and as a result, surgery may be their only option, which includes enlarging the airway or removing the tonsils.

Sleep Apnea

Try using devices that help with snoring. When the airway is closed but still allows a little air through, that's when snoring is most probable; in sleep apnea, the airways are almost fully closed. So you can see that it is logical that this device can help with both issues. Anti-snoring devices can help to reduce your sleep apnea symptoms as you rest. To decrease your risk of sleep apnea symptoms, lose some weight. A lot of people find that if they shed weight they will help the apnea. Even a little weight loss can improve the symptoms of sleep apnea and cause the airways and throat to open up more. Exercise your tongue and minimize sleep apnea symptoms. Repeat vowels out loud over and over for 3 minutes each day. Press your tongue tip to the back of your front teeth, and quickly slide it to the back of your mouth repeatedly for three minutes. Do both once per day. This can improve the strength of your tongue and throat muscles and decrease the chance that they will relax too much and cause breathing difficulty. With the information you've gained here, you can better deal with your condition. Don't let someone make you think that being tired all the time is perfectly normal or that this article shouldn't be discussed with a doctor. Play a woodwind instrument. It is a great hobby, and it will help you exercise weak muscles to help you breathe at night. Making these muscles stronger reduces sleep apnea symptoms.