Sleep Apnea Advice You Really Need To Know

Sleep Apnea Advice You Really Need To Know

Many people make the mistake in believing that continued tiredness for months on end is just a fact of life and nothing can be done about it. This is not true at all. Many people suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that everyone should be aware of. You can fight sleep apnea by giving up certain vices. Few things are worse for sleep apnea than drinking and smoking. Drinking can overly relax your respiratory system and may cause breathing problems. Smoking adds harmful chemicals which damage your lungs over time. Losing these terrible habits will help a great deal when it comes to alleviating your sleep apnea symptoms. If your sleep apnea is a result of narrow airways, look at options for a mouth guard. These guards look similar to what athletes use, but are specifically made to change the position of the tongue, jaw and palate while you sleep and keep your airway open. Mouth guards and sleep masks must be properly fitted in order to help improve apnea. Excessive weight can be a major contributor to sleep apnea. Anyone who is overweight and suffers from sleep apnea needs to lose weight for the sake of their health. Follow a strict diet and exercise regimen for awhile to see if this makes a difference. Some studies suggest that limiting carbohydrate intake can lead to weight loss, as well. Eating healthy foods consistently can reduce your weight and sleep apnea symptoms. It may surprise you how much eating poorly can affect your sleep apnea symptoms. Research shows that people who eat an unhealthy diet have more severe apnea than some overweight people who eat healthier. You may be able to improve or eliminate your symptoms by quitting smoking and/or drinking. Sleep apnea and chronic snoring are each caused by over-relaxation of the airway muscles, and both smoking and drinking can cause this. Unlike those medical interventions or pricey surgeries, eliminating these habits can save you money. Many children suffer with sleep apnea. If you find your child is innatentive, always tired or uses their mouth to breath and not their nose, they may suffer from this condition. A lot of times these symptoms look like the symptoms of someone suffering with ADHD, but you should consult with your doctor who can evaluate all the symptoms. Eating well can help you become thinner, which can often reduce sleep apnea symptoms. It's surprising how much an unhealthy diet can affect sleep apnea. People who don't eat healthy food have the worst sleep apnea conditions. In an effort to get a restful night of sleep, sleep on your side if possible. Our airways can get obstructed if we sleep while on our backs. See if sleeping on your side doesn't help your sleep apnea condition. Sleep apnea is a significant disorder. If you are experiencing some of the signs associated with this condition, you should consult with your doctor right away. If the doctor determines you are suffering with sleep apnea, you should consult with someone who specializes in this disorder in order to effectively treat the condition. The two main pieces of information used to diagnose sleep apnea are personal medical histories and a physical work-up. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study as well. When your doctor has this information, he passes it on to a specialist who can help you even more. Sleeping on one of your sides when you have sleep apnea can help you sleep better. When sleeping on the back, throat and tongue muscles are more likely to block your airway. If you have trouble staying off your back, sew a tennis ball into the back of your pajamas to help you stay on your side. You may see a big difference in the quality of your sleep. Choose only one, flatter pillow to sleep on each night instead of fluffy pillows. Having too many pillows, or one gigantic one, may interfere with good breathing posture. It will make breathing harder than it needs to be. So pick out a single pillow you feel comfortable with to sleep on at night. Sleep apnea is generally determined by looking at your family and medical history, along with a physical exam. Sleep studies may be suggested and your doctor might refer you over to a type of sleep specialist that can diagnose and treat your symptoms.

Risk Factors

Your physician might ask you to start and maintain a sleep log to get a better grasp on your diagnosis. You simply log the amount of hours you're sleeping each night, and mentioning other symptoms too. If your sleeping partner is telling you that you snore or jerk in your sleep, you may have sleep apnea. This diary will help a medical professional see patterns in your sleep habits. Find ways to decrease the risk factors of our sleep apnea. Some risk factors, which include being male and family history, are innate and unchangeable. There are many other factors, though, that can be minimized or eliminated through lifestyle changes, such as excessive weight, alcohol use, or smoking. If you have a CPAP machine, carry your medical ID. If you are ever in need of emergency treatments, this ID will let the medical team know that you suffer from sleep apnea and are following CPAP therapy. The ID needs to include all of the medical information pertaining to your CPAP use. You shouldn't be smoking if you are afflicted with sleep apnea. Smoking causes swelling in your upper airway, which negatively impacts sleep apnea. You can use nicotine patches or replacement therapy to quit. Many people find the first month to be the hardest. Following that time, the nicotine will start leaving your body, and you'll have decreased cravings. If you are using a CPAP to treat sleep apnea, be sure to take it when you're going to the hospital. Be it an intended or emergency room stay, you must always have access to your CPAP and the mask when you suffer from sleep apnea. The settings will be prepared and you won't have to adjust the pressure. Even if you are hospitalized, you can seamlessly continue using your CPAP in this manner. Certain tongue exercises can decrease sleep apnea symptoms. Press your tongue against your mouth's bony palate and keep it there for at least three minutes. This increases the strength of the muscles in your tongue and throat, which means they won't relax as much during the night. If you are suffering from sleep apnea and have a cold or allergies, try using a nasal spray. This will dry out the passages and help clear them out temporarily. Nasal spray is not a permanent solution to nighttime breathing issues, though; prolonged use will cause irritation and possibly sinus damage. Take a trip to the drugstore and find a nasal cleaner that suits you.

Sleep Apnea

Consulting your GP is a necessary step in getting a diagnosis of sleep apnea, but self-help options are available. Giving up tobacco use and losing excess weight are good health choices in general, and they're particularly effective in reducing the symptoms of sleep apnea. Also, stay away from large meals, caffeine and alcohol a few hours before going to sleep. If you have sleep apnea, you can improve your symptoms by exercising your throat muscles. When your breathing is obstructed by soft tissues collapsing in the anterior of your throat while you sleep, the result is sleep apnea. As your muscles strengthen, their possibility of collapsing and blocking your airways is lowered. You should take lessons on a wind instrument. This will not only be fun and relaxing, it will also help you excercise the muscles responsible for your breathing control. As you make these muscles stronger, you will see increased control and minimize apnea symptoms. Don't binge drink if you have sleep apnea. Alcohol consumption relaxes throat muscles beyond normality and can block an airway. Quit drinking, or have only one drink a few hours before bed. That way, your sleep will not be affected. People suffering from sleep apnea are well advised not to sleep on their backs. When you sleep on your back, you can obstruct your air passages and complicate your sleep patterns. Do what's necessary to sleep sideways, even if you have to use pillows or other items to force the issue. If you have sleep apnea, or if you simply snore at night, try learning to play a wind instrument. This can significantly help you get through the night without bothering other people with your heavy snoring. Mastering this music form means you can retain control of your respiratory system. If you are dealing with effects of sleep apnea, one solution is to perform throat exercises, which can help lessen the symptoms. By building up the muscles that surround the airway, such exercises can reduce the likelihood of muscular relaxation and airway constriction during sleep. One exercise is to simply push your tongue up against the top of your mouth for a few minutes to strengthen throat muscles. Do this exercise once each day.

Sleep Apnea

Some corrective oral devices can aid in the treatment of sleep apnea. A person's anatomy may be such that they naturally have a narrow jaw and airway. A corrective device will alter the jaw alignment and allow greater passage of air. Sleep apnea is stressful. Baths can help. A hot bath can help sooth your muscles to help you sleep better. You will find it easier to fall asleep and get a good night's rest uninterrupted by sleep apnea. A majority of sleep apnea sufferers sleep on their backs. If that is you, think about switching to the side. Studies show that if you sleep on your side, it can help to alleviate the sleep apnea symptoms. Those who suffer from sleep apnea may need to consider a simpler solution for their problem. Sleeping at random times can disrupt your sleep, so go to bed each night at the same time. Your bedroom environment should be conducive to sleeping. Insomnia can occur if the conditions are poor. Discuss your sleep apnea with your partner. Chances are that you have done some snoring and awoke many times during many nights. You can open up to them about your sleep apnea and how it is affecting you, and reassure them that such restless sleep should end soon. You are more aware of what to watch for you in your life, now that you have read this information about sleep apnea. Do not believe that chronic tiredness is normal. Speak to your physician about sleep apnea and sleep better. Sleep while laying on your side or stomach if you have sleep apnea. Avoid sleeping on your back. Sleeping face-up makes your throat tissues and tongue sag, which prevents you from breathing well. Use a pillow to keep you from moving in the middle of the night.