Sleep Apnea: What Is It And What Can You Do About It?

Sleep Apnea: What Is It And What Can You Do About It?

You can discuss your sleep apnea all you want, but that's not going to improve your sleep. Proactivity is required if this affliction haunts you. The first step is to know some effective ways to handle it. The following article will give you some practical tips you can use to treat your sleep apnea. A common reason that people have sleep apnea is due to the extra pounds on their bodies. If this is the case, a sleep apnea sufferer should try to lose weight. They should follow a sensible weight loss plan, usually involving a restricted calorie diet combined with exercise. According to recent scientific work, many people looking to lose weight can also benefit from reducing their intake of carbohydrates.

Respiratory System

You may have success in treating your sleep apnea with a doctor-prescribed fitted mouth guard. If you have a recessed chin or a small jaw, these conditions can greatly increase your sleep apnea symptoms. You can get a mouthpiece to help you when you are sleeping to get better night's sleep. Try getting rid of bad habits to better your sleep apnea. Drinking alcohol and smoking are very bad for the condition. You can have severe breathing problems if you are a heavy drinker as it depresses your respiratory system. Cigarettes inject carcinogens into your respiratory system. Letting these habits go can reduce your symptoms and make sleeping easier. Sleep apnea is no joke. If you suspect that you or a loved one has it, it's important to make an appointment with a physician to talk to them about it soon. An official diagnosis will help you figure out if you really do have sleep apnea or not. Quit drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes. These habits can cause airways to relax too much, which can worsen sleep apnea and snoring. Unlike having expensive surgery or other medical procedures, eliminating these harmful habits actually saves money for you. Keep a diary of your sleep habits to show your doctor at your appointment for sleep apnea. Here, you will track your hours of successful sleep, when you awaken through the night and other problems you may encounter. Your partner can help with that, as they know whether you are a loud snorer or jerk about. This helps the doctor discern whether you have sleep apnea or not. Consult with your doctor about getting a mouth piece. You might just have a small air way, if you have a recessed chin or a smaller jaw this can cause sleep apnea. Corrective devices can improve your jaw alignment at night and increase your rest quality. If you suffer from sleep apnea and require a CPAP machine, make sure you have a medical ID bracelet. You need to have a way of letting medical personnel know about your condition if you are unconscious. This ID needs to specify you suffer from sleep apnea and have a CPAP that needs to be set on a certain pressure level. Taking up a musical instrument (especially a wind instrument) can have a positive effect on your sleep apnea. German researchers suggest playing the didgeridoo regularly trains your upper airway muscles. These muscles control the dilation of your airway and the stiffening of the airway walls. Because of this, playing it regularly can help you breathe better when you sleep. You should use only one normal-sized pillow each night to sleep on. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. This may result in breathing difficulties, because you end up in odd positions. With this in mind, use only a single pillow to minimize sleep apnea symptoms. If you have been prescribed a CPAP for sleep apnea, make an honest effort to use it at least four hours a night. Many folks have difficulty adjusting to the CPAP in the beginning. However, it won't be effective if you don't use it every day. If you have trouble adjusting to use it the full night, keep it on for four hours at the least. Try nasal spray if you notice your nose is irritating you. You will get relief from this for a little while. However, they are not suitable for long term use. Take a trip to the local pharmacy to see what they have available to help with keeping your nose open when you're sleeping. 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. Everyone is different and you'll need to find the treatment that will fit you and allow you to have a good night of rest. Soon, you'll be getting the rest that you need. Speak with your doctor about writing you a prescription for a heated humidifier if you have a CPAP machine to sleep. If the air you breathe is moist, you have a higher chance of sleeping better and continuing your CPAP machine application. A lot of the CPAP machines now have a humidifier built in, so find out if you can be prescribed one of those.