Techniques To Help You Cope With Sleep Apnea

Techniques To Help You Cope With Sleep Apnea

People who have sleep apnea have been trying for ages to search for treatment for their condition. The real trick to alleviating your condition is investing the necessary time to learn the subject as much as you can. Using the information below will help you find the best treatment. You have to get rid of a few vices to get through sleep apnea. If you drink and smoke, it can make your sleep apnea worse. The muscle-relaxing effects of alcohol are very hard on the whole respiratory system and lead to significant breathing problems. Smoking damages the lungs. If you can give up these bad habits, you'll see a significant reduction in your sleep apnea symptoms. Do you smoke and/or drink? Eliminate these unhealthy habits. They can do bad things to your airways. 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. If you are having trouble quitting either of these habits, at least try to abstain in the few hours before bedtime. You may have success in treating your sleep apnea with a doctor-prescribed fitted mouth guard. The natural configuration of your jaw and airway passages may be conducive to the conditions associated with sleep apnea. A device made to assist you during sleep can provide you with enough air to flow through your body.

Sleep Apnea

Reduce your consumption of alcohol. When drinking alcoholic beverages, it will relax your muscles. Although some people do enjoy this, it can contribute to sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and can make it difficult to keep the air passage open. If eliminating it is not an option, cut back and make sure you do it well before bedtime. Try quitting smoking and drinking alcohol if you have sleep apnea. These habits can affect your airway, which makes sleep apnea and snoring more likely. Some people resort to invasive surgeries to correct their sleep apnea without realizing that discontinuing these bad habits could have been a more simple and much cheaper route! It is possible for children to suffer from sleep apnea. Signs of sleep apnea in kids includes hyperactivity, hostility and breathing through their mouth. This may mimic ADHD, so be sure your doctor is investigating all the causes before making a diagnosis. You may have success in treating your sleep apnea with a doctor-prescribed fitted mouth guard. It may just be that your breathing passage is naturally narrow or your jaw is small. You can overcome these difficulties and experience much more restful sleep by using a custom-fitted device to keep your jaw and airway properly aligned. Sleep on your side if you want to avoid sleep apnea. Your air passages are more likely to suffer obstruction when you sleep on your back. Try sleeping on your side at night and determine if that helps you breathe a bit easier. Playing wind instruments can actually help you control sleep apnea. Regular playing of the didgeridoo has been found by German scientists to strengthen the muscles of the upper airway. These muscles control the dilation of your airway and the stiffening of the airway walls. This is why playing this instrument regularly will help strengthen these muscles, and reduce snoring and sleep apnea symptoms. If you have no one with you while you sleep, it would be hard to tell if sleep apnea is your problem. Try taping yourself at night to see if you do. Your video needs to have audio as well because the doctors will want to hear any noises you make. Sleep with your body perpendicular to the bed. Many people who have sleep apnea also sleep looking straight up. Your airway can become obstructed if you sleep on your back. It's easier to breathe when looking to the side. If you move around at night and tend to always wind up on your back, try propping yourself up with pillows. Think about using nasal spray if your nasal passages are stopped up. This should clear your airways, at least temporarily. Nasal sprays with medications should not be used for many days in a row, however, because they can damage the nose. Take a trip to the drugstore and find a nasal cleaner that suits you. If you are going to be hospitalized for any reason, bring your CPAP with you to ensure you get restful sleep. 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 machine is pre-set to your specifications and you have the benefit of wearing the mask you are already familiar with. These things will make it much easier to continue your CPAP therapy while you are hospitalized. Losing weight can definitely help reduce sleep apnea's effects. Being overweight and large around the neck are often indications of sleep apnea. Pressure on the neck is reduced with weight loss, making breathing easier while sleeping. Look for devices that help to alleviate snoring. When the airway is mostly closed, snoring occurs. Apnea on the other hand, occurs when the airway is completely closed. It makes sense to have a device that will help both. Talk to your doctor to find out if one of these devices will truly help you or if you need some other type of treatment instead. If you can't see a doctor about your sleep apnea, you can still do some things to help yourself. Quitting smoking and losing weight are beneficial to anyone, particularly those that have sleep apnea. Additionally, it's important to refrain from consuming alcohol, large meals, or caffeine right before bedtime.

Risk Factors

Sleep apnea patients should not sleep on their backs. Most apnea patients are "back sleepers", making it more likely that airway obstructions can occur. To prevent yourself from rolling over while you sleep, use pillows or cushions. Minimize your risk from the conditions causing sleep apnea. Some sleep apnea risk factors (like genetic predisposition or being a man) are impossible to escape. On the other hand, certain risk factors, such as being fat, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol, are entirely under your control. Don't binge drink if you have sleep apnea. Drinking causes the throat muscles to relax excessively, which causes snoring and a blocked airway. You should either cease drinking alcohol or reduce your consumption to no more than a couple of drinks before dinner. This helps to avoid the problem of alcohol harming you from getting a good night's sleep. Tying to find the right treatment may not be easy when you suffer from sleep apnea. To get through the fight against sleep apnea victorious, you have to know as much about it as possible. Use the tips here to locate the best treatment for your condition. If you think you have sleep apnea, make an appointment with your doctor and ask for a sleep test. This type of test can help you figure out if you're suffering from sleep apnea and the intensity of the condition. After you are diagnosed you have to figure out how to treat your sleep apnea.