The effects of sleep apnea can range from minor discomfort and inconvenience to life-threatening complications. Anyone who is faced with this condition should do whatever is necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of its causes and possible treatments. Carefully review the article that follows, and you will be equipped to find a treatment that works for you or your loved ones.
Give up some of your vices to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea. Two of the most common offenders are drinking and smoking. Drinking helps depress your respiratory system, causing breathing issues. Smoking introduces known carcinogens into your lungs and damages them over time. You will notice a decrease in sleep apnea symptoms by quitting these habits.
Get a mouth guard to help you sleep at night. These devices are designed to correct your airways and allow you to breathe properly during the night. Talk to your physician about these, and get a fitting if you two think it might work.
Do you occasionally drink or smoke? Take steps to eliminate these unhealthy habits. The reason is because these harmful substances impact your airways, and as a result, your sleep. Your throat can swell thanks to smoking, and alcohol relaxes your palate and allows it to drop to the back of your throat, which restricts your airway while you sleep. If you find that you just can’t give these bad habits up, do what you can to not do either of them within four hours of your bedtime.
Quit smoking and 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 costly surgeries or other medical interventions, dropping these habits will actually save you money.
Getting a CPAP machine is probably the best option for your sleep apnea. These machines will keep your airways open and help you breathe. You should talk to your doctor about CPAP machines and figure out which model would be the most adapted. This machine should work if you use it properly.
Exercise your neck and throat. Sleep apnea is caused by your throat becoming obstructed as you sleep. By strengthening the muscles in your neck, throat, and jaw, you can help your muscles withstand the pressure. Spend a few minutes every day performing exercises designed for the jaw and neck area.
If you are taking a great deal of medicines on a regular basis, sit with your doctor and discuss how they can be reduced. Side effects from prescription medication can be making your sleep apnea worse. Keep a dialog open with your doctor and make sure he is up to date on all your symptoms.
If you are a smoker, this may be making your sleep apnea more severe. When you smoke a cigarette, the airways in your nose become swollen, restricting the amount of air that you can breathe. Quit smoking if you can. If you can’t give it up entirely, don’t smoke in the evenings before bed.
Sleeping face-up is something to avoid if you’re having sleep apnea issues. Most apnea sufferers are chronic back sleepers and this position leads to a collapse of the soft tissue in the throat and blocks the air passage. Lie on your side and support yourself with pillows to avoid rolling onto your back.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, do not be shy about telling your friends and family. Sleep apnea is an extremely common condition. It is very possible that someone you know and love has it too and has not been diagnosed yet. By sharing your experience, you could help someone else realize they have a problem and encourage them to seek treatment.
Taking the time to exercise your jaw and stick out your tongue may seem like children’s play. In a recent scientific study, people who performed jaw and tongue exercises daily were able to relieve some of their sleep apnea symptoms. It may not work for everyone, but could be worth a try for a good night’s rest.
Many people simply lay down whenever they feel about it, and then complain when they aren’t sleeping well. The human body is based off of routine, so it is greatly beneficial to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. This can even help with snoring and apnea issues.
While sedatives and other sleep medications may help you fall asleep they are not so good when suffering from apnea. If possible, avoid taking any sleep aids to see if this improves your apnea problems. You just may find that something you thought was helping you to sleep was actually decreasing the quality of your sleep.
One way to determine whether or not you may have sleep apnea is to have your partner report what they see, hear and feel during the night. While you might not notice yourself waking up, your partner may hear you snoring, tossing and turning, or gasping in the wee hours.
Keeping up to date on new trends in the medical community can be very advantageous to sleep apnea patients. The American Sleep Apnea Association has a patient website that offers a wealth of information on issues related to the disorder, online support group forums and effective treatment options. You can find the website at http://www.sleepapnea.org.
Make sure that you are getting enough sleep every night. When you are sleep deprived, you may notice that your sleep apnea is worse. You also want the room you are sleeping in set up so that you can get a good night sleep. It should be dark, quiet and you should feel comfortable and at peace while you are sleeping.
Because of its potentially very serious impact on the lives of sufferers, sleep apnea is a topic of great concern for many. Those confronted with this condition are wise to research the topic thoroughly before selecting a treatment strategy. By paying close attention to the information contained above, you have the power to find the methods best able to alleviate the symptoms plaguing you or someone you love.