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.
For people who suffer from sleep apnea, they may stop using their CPAP machine because it is noisy or too large. See if you can get an upgrade. The machines have gotten much smaller and quieter in recent years. You may be eligible for an upgrade. Contact your doctor or insurance provider for more information.
Start sleeping on your side. When you sleep on your back and have sleep apnea, your airway gets block by your tongue and throat tissues. To avoid rolling onto your back once you are asleep, try sleeping with pillows cushioning your side. This helps prevent you from turning onto your back.
In an effort to get a restful night of sleep, sleep on your side if possible. Your air passages are more likely to suffer obstruction when you sleep on your back. See if sleeping on your side doesn’t help your sleep apnea condition.
Your doctor might ask you to write down when you sleep and wake. You will write down how many hours you sleep throughout the night, and any other symptoms you experience. Your partner can often say if you jerk limbs around, stop breathing for a second, or snore loudly. Your doctor can use this information to determine if you actually suffer from sleep apnea.
A good way to determine if you are suffering from sleep apnea is by recording yourself when you sleep. You can do either an audio or video recording to catch your sleep patterns and sounds you generate when you are in a deep slumber. These recordings can be quite informative. Try doing them for several nights in a row to get a good range of information.
If you smoke cigarettes and are suffering from sleep apnea, now is the best time to quit this habit. When you smoke, you are increasing the inflammation and the fluid retention in your throat along with your upper airways, and that will contribute greatly to sleep apnea. Once you quit, you should notice your symptoms start to lessen.
If you are afflicted with sleep apnea, then you need to give up smoking. It can cause your upper airways to start swelling, which can make your sleep apnea worse. In order to stop smoking you should think about a cessation program or one of those nicotine replacement therapies. The first month is hard, but after that it becomes easier. Beyond that, it becomes easier as your body detoxes from the nicotine.
If you have sleep apnea, and you have to have a sleep study, considering taking your pillow from home with you. It can be very difficult to sleep in the sleep lab. You are in an unfamiliar place in a strange bed. You have lots of wires, and electrodes attached to you. Having your own pillow can help to relax you and make it easier to fall asleep.
If you have sleep apnea and use a CPAP, try to replace your mask and hose every six months. Most insurance policies allow for a new mask and hose every six months, and some allow you to replace them every three months. The mask can stop fitting well after several months of use, and the hose can develop small cracks or holes that let air leak. Replace these items to keep getting the best CPAP therapy possible.
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.
While you may not be obese or even very overweight, even a couple of extra pounds can cause sleep apnea. That means even if you have a little belly, you should work to get rid of it and see if that removes your sleeping problems. You will thank yourself for it afterwards.
Did you know that blowing up a balloon has another benefit besides making your child happy? This is actually a great exercise to strengthen the airways for those that suffer from sleep apnea. Repeating this balloon inflation five times in succession is recommended to get the most out of this exercise.
Do not give up if the first treatment you try does not work. Give each treatment a few weeks before you decide to give up and move on to the next treatment. Finding the right solution can take some time, but you will be glad you went through this process.
If a breathing device hasn’t solved your sleep apnea problems, then you may want to consider a dental device. There are a variety of types of these, but they can mostly be made by an orthodontist. They work by changing the shape of your mouth and throat while you sleep and removing obstructions.
Throat exercise will strengthen the muscles in the throat, keeping them from collapsing during the night. Try pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then hold it there for two or three minutes. You can also use a balloon. First take a deep breath through your nasal passages, then inflate the balloon as much as possible. Repeat this five times. These exercises will strengthen your airway muscles.
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.
