Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea? Check Out These Tips For Good Health!

Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea? Check Out These Tips For Good Health!

Just talking about your sleep apnea isn't going to help you get more rest. If you have sleep apnea, do something about it. The first step is simply knowing what treatment methods exist. This article will discuss techniques that can help. Avoid unhealthy activities to control your sleep apnea. If you drink and smoke, you need to quit now. Drinking affects the respiratory system. Cigarette smoke is full of cancer-causing chemicals which are bad for your lungs. Doing away with both of these bad habits will help do away with your sleep apnea symptoms. Shed a bit of weight if you can. There is evidence that sleep apnea is correlated with obesity. Alternatively, if you shed twenty five pounds you can see a tremendous improvement in the symptoms of sleep apnea, especially if you are dealing with obesity. If your sleep apnea is the result of having narrow breathing passages, a mouth guard can help you out. Devices like these can align your airways properly to allow you better sleep. Speak with a doctor about using a properly fitted mouth guard. Get a personally made mouth guard just for you. These are made especially for those suffering from sleep apnea. Instead of using a CPAP device, you can use a mouth guard. Your airway will stay open wider and the guard will provide added stability for your throat. Do you drink and smoke? Stop these bad habits. The reason is because these harmful substances impact your airways, and as a result, your sleep. Alcohol use will lead to over-relaxation of your airways, making sleep apnea symptoms worse, while smoking can have a similar effect by constricting them. Avoid second-hand smoke and do not drink immediately before going to bed.

Difficulty Adjusting

Aside from the obvious reasons that losing weight is important, if you have sleep apnea, it's vital that you lose weight. Although it might not be the main cause, being overweight makes sleep apnea worse. If you slim down, you may see a marked difference in how your sleep apnea affects you. If you've got a prescription for a CPAP for your sleep apnea, try using it for around four hours each night. Many folks have difficulty adjusting to the CPAP in the beginning. For the CPAP therapy to work, it must be used a minimum of four hours per day. If you are having difficulty adjusting to it at first, try to make sure you at least use your CPAP four hours each time you sleep. Have a mouth guard made for you. These guards are designed for patients with sleep apnea. It provides a more comfortable option to using a CPAP machine. You will find that this mouth guard stabilizes the soft tissues and allows the airways to be more open. Sleep apnea is not a condition to take likely. If you think you may have it, it is important to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it. Once you have been diagnosed, your next step will be a sleep specialist, who may administer a sleeping test using a small monitor to determine the extent of your condition. A healthy diet can help you lose weight and combat sleep apnea. Despite what you may think, diet plays a major part in the ability to sleep. It has been shown through many studies that people who eat a poor diet usually suffer with worse sleep apnea than someone who is just overweight but manages to still eat somewhat healthier. Swear off sleeping pills. They can cause muscles in your throat more than usual due to the relaxation it causes. 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. Do your best to sleep off your back and on your side. Some sleep apnea patients lay on their backs. When you lay on your back during sleep, the tongue and soft palate shift to the back, which obstructs your airway. It is best to sleep on your side when you can. Use pillows to force yourself to sleep sideways if you have a problem with rolling over once you are asleep. A good nasal spray can be helpful if you are having trouble breathing. Nasal spray can help clear out your airways. If you use nasal spray alot you may damage it. Many pharmacies have different over-the-counter options available to help keep your nasal passages open. Normally sleep apnea is diagnosed after getting a physical exam, but it also helps to study your family's medical history to see if it's prevalent among your relatives. In addition, sleep studies could be performed. Afterwards, depending on the results, your doctor could refer a sleep specialist to you. A sleep specialist is a doctor who treats those with sleep problems. Some people have great luck with stopping their snoring by using an anti-snoring device they wear in their mouth while sleeping. Snoring is when you have your airways come to a partial close while air is coming through, while apnea is actually when your airways are closed all the way. So, anything that helps relieve the first issue will also help with the second. If you have a machine to help with snoring it can help with apnea. No matter where you travel, you must bring your CPAP if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. When you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, you should not go even one night without using your CPAP. A convenience travel pouch is usually included with purchase. You should be able to use this to carry your CPAP machine with you no matter where you go.

Sleep Apnea

Take your CPAP device with you when you are going to the hospital. Your CPAP and your mask should be with you for both planned stays and trips to an emergency room. The machine is pre-set to your specifications and you have the benefit of wearing the mask you are already familiar with. Your whole hospitalization process will go much smoother because of this. Losing weight will often make a big difference for patients suffering from sleep apnea. People who are overweight or have a larger than normal neck circumference may be prone to sleep apnea. Getting thinner will lower the amount of pressure on your trachea, which means more air will get to your lungs while you sleep. Weight loss can make a huge difference in sleep apnea symptoms. If a person has a neck circumference of 17 inches or more, they are more likely to develop sleep apnea. Losing the excess weight can greatly lower the pressure it puts on your airways and helps to get air flowing freely so you can breathe much better at night. You shouldn't be smoking if you are afflicted with sleep apnea. Smoking aggravates air passages. If you are struggling to quit, join a program, or try using nicotine-replacement therapy, such as patches. For most people, the toughest part is the first 30 days or so. Following this, the nicotine dissipates and cravings are reduced. If you can't see a doctor about your sleep apnea, you can still do some things to help yourself. Try losing weight and eating healthier to get rid of your sleep apnea. If it is within a few hours of bedtime, stay away from caffeine, alcohol or a heavy meal. Curb drinking heavily if you have sleep apnea. When drinking alcohol it causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which results in snoring and blocked airways. Don't drink close to bedtime. In this way, the alcohol will not disturb your sleep. Sleep apnea is not something that should be ignored, because it will not go away without treatment. Depending on the person, some treatment options will work well, while others will not. Although losing weight is known to reduce sleep apnea symptoms, people who are thin suffer also. There are many options available to help treat this condition, one of which is a CPAP machine. Some people with severe sleep apnea will have surgery to get rid of the tissue that blocks the airway. Whatever you and your doctor thinks is the best for you, treatment is important in improving your sleep quality. If you currently are using a CPAP machine for sleeping, ask your general practitioner to prescribe a humidifier that is heated as well. A humidifier will help keep the air moist for better breathing and to avoid chafing from the mask. Lots of CPAP machines have humidifiers built in. Check with your doctor to see if he or she can prescribe a humidifier for you. If you are taking a flight and bringing your CPAP machine, contact the airlines ahead of time. They will usually accommodate you by giving you a seat where you can easily get to your machine. If flying on a foreign plane, remember to bring along a power adapter. How you sleep can determine how many sleep apnea occurrences you have. This is why it's crucial to sleep properly. If you must sleep on your back, elevate your head and the top half of your body slightly. Another option is raising your bed's top a minimum of four inches. Sleep apnea causes a reduction of oxygen to your system while you are sleeping. So anyone who has sleep apnea shouldn't sleep at higher elevations. This is because oxygen levels drop the higher the elevation is, which can impact your sleeping. If it is possible to avoid sleeping at an elevated height, it would be prudent to do so. You should now understand the many ways for treating sleep apnea thanks to this article, and it's now up to you to begin treatment. Try the treatments you think might work for you for a deeper sleep. When you have sound sleep, you get back control over both your days and nights. Take some brief naps throughout the day to make up for lost sleep. Long term sleep deprivation can really hinder your overall health, and your capacity during the day. If possible, you should try to take an afternoon nap in order to increase your total hours of restful sleep.