Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Getting Treatment Is Key

Obstructive Sleep Apnea - Getting Treatment Is Key

The article below is for folks who suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause extreme problems for those who do not treat it. However, this condition can be managed with the proper treatments. Review the sleep apnea advice and health tips presented here and make use of them in your everyday life. Avoid unhealthy activities to control your sleep apnea. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. The muscle-relaxing effects of alcohol are very hard on the whole respiratory system and lead to significant breathing problems. Smoking adds harmful chemicals which damage your lungs over time. If you can give up these bad habits, you'll see a significant reduction in your sleep apnea symptoms.

Sleep Apnea

Do you sometimes drink or smoke? If you suffer from sleep apnea, quit smoking and cut down on your alcohol consumption. Both of these things affect your airway negatively and compound your sleep apnea problem. Alcohol relaxes some throat muscles to the point that sleep apnea becomes worse. Cigarettes also cause you to have difficulty breathing. If you must continue with these habits, avoid doing them before bed. Excessive weight is a primary cause of sleep apnea for many people. Every attempt should be made to lose weight if a person is overweight and has sleep apnea. Follow a strict diet and exercise regimen for awhile to see if this makes a difference. Reducing carbohydrate intake can be an effective way to take off the pounds, according to some recent studies. Be sure to eat well and maintain a proper weight to help control your sleep apnea. A lot of people are amazed at how a poor diet negatively affects sleep apnea. It's been proven that poor diets can contribute to the severity of sleep apnea. Taking up a musical instrument (especially a wind instrument) can have a positive effect on your sleep apnea. Researchers in Germany have found playing a didgeridoo can make your throat muscles stronger. These muscles are the key to dilation of the air passage and proper breathing as we sleep. So try and play the didgeridoo regularly to help you get through the night with sleep apnea. In an effort to get a restful night of sleep, sleep on your side if possible. Sleeping on your back can block your airway. Give sleeping on your side a try, and see if your symptoms improve. If you have a prescription for sleep apnea and you are prescribed a CPAP, you should at least use it four hours every night. It can be extremely difficult for some patients to get used to sleeping with a CPAP. However, it won't be effective if you don't use it every day. If you find it hard to get used to your CPAP, use it for only 4 hours at a go. Sleep with your body perpendicular to the bed. Sleep apnea sufferers tend to sleep on their back. If you sleep flat on your back you are only exasperating your breathing problem by allowing your throat muscles to relax and move down. Sleeping on your side makes breathing significantly easier. You may want to prop yourself up with pillows so you stay on your side. You really should cut down on your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a natural muscle relaxant. You may want to feel more relaxed, but it can exacerbate your apnea. If you must drink, keep it to just a few, and stop drinking well before bedtime. This will keep your throat muscles from relaxing excessively. If drinking is an important part of your life, restrict the amount of alcohol you consume and drink it earlier in the day. It is not easy to tell if you are suffering from sleep apnea if you don't sleep with someone who can describe your sleep patterns. Setting up a camera to record your sleeping habits might be the answer. The video needs audio too so that the doctors can hear the noises you make.

Sleeping Pills

Avoid sleeping pills when you suffer from sleep apnea. Sleep medicines often contain relaxants which only make your airway more likely to collapse. If you suffer from sleep apnea, the pills could cause disastrous consequences. This is not the solution for getting some sleep. Avoid relying on sleeping pills. Sleeping pills can interfere with your throats muscles, just like alcohol. They also can cause other harmful issues to make your sleep apnea worse. Speak with your health professional about something that can help you sleep without harming your breathing patterns. If you have sinus or allergy issues, this may be causing your sleep apnea. Because you already suffer, this should at least alleviate one of many sleep problems. You don't want to have anything else that hinders your breathing while you sleep. Addressing nasal problems ensures you a better chance at sleeping from dusk until dawn problem-free. Sleep while on your side. 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. You may want to prop yourself up with pillows so you stay on your side. A good way to help your sleep apnea might be to shed some extra weight. Symptoms of sleep apnea are completely resolved by many once they drop a few pounds. Losing even just five pounds can make your sleep apnea symptoms go away. The two main pieces of information used to diagnose sleep apnea are personal medical histories and a physical work-up. 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. Only sleep with a single pillow of standard size. Larger or stacked pillows can put your airways in an awkward position and limit your breathing. Your body is in an unnatural position and breathing becomes difficult. Because of this, you should only sleep with a single pillow to combat sleep apnea. If you are using a CPAP and experience an issue with your mouth opening during sleep, a chin strap can help. This strap is a small strip of material that holds up your chin while you sleep, thus keeping your mouth closed. Try out CPAP therapy for your mouth. If you have a stuffy nose, use a saline spray or neti pot. This will help clear your nasal passages before you go to bed. Remember that nasal sprays should only be used on a temporary basis to avoid nasal damage and irritation. Try other ways of opening this passage.

Sleep Apnea

If you suffer from sleep apnea and require a CPAP machine, talk to your physician about heated humidification with it. When your sleeping in conditions of warm and moist air, you will most likely adhere to the CPAP therapy. Try and get a CPAP machine that has a humidifier built into it; your doctor should be able to point you in the right direction. As previously stated, sleep apnea can be risky to your health if it's not treated properly. If you have sleep apnea, you should realize that you need to gain more knowledge about why. Learning about the causes, symptoms and treatments for sleep apnea can help your and your doctor find the right therapy for you specific condition. There are a few simple solutions sleep apnea sufferers can look into. Be sure to keep regular bedtime habits and get the same amount of sleep nightly. Make sure that your bedroom conditions are also suited for a good night's rest. If your room is not comfortable, you will probably have difficulty sleeping night after night.