Sleep apnea is a common disorder that can have a dramatic, negative affect on a person’s life. If you suffer from sleep apnea, it is crucially important that you educate yourself on the best ways to deal with the disorder. The information contained within this article will educate you on several sleep apnea healthcare tips.
Try playing a wind instrument. Playing the trumpet or a similar musical instrument should help you strengthen your throat and help you control your breathing. Your upper airways should become stronger and remain open throughout the night, which would make the symptoms of sleep apnea disappear or at least reduce them.
If you decide to try a CPAP machine, do not give up until at least a few weeks. A lot of sleep apnea patients give up before they really get a chance to get used to their machine. Wait until you are comfortable with sleeping while wearing a mask and you should really notice a difference.
Purchase yourself a mouth guard that is made specifically for your mouth. Mouth guards help keep your jaw in a proper position. A mouth guard will help keep your airway open and may eliminate the need for a CPAP machine. The soft tissues are given the support that they need to keep the airways open.
Did you know that sleep apnea is more than just snoring? Your breathing may actually stop, or it may become very shallow, and this could happen upwards of a hundred times or more each night. If you feel you may be suffering from this affliction, you should see a doctor and be properly diagnosed and discuss a treatment that works best for you.
If you feel tired every day, you may have sleep apnea. Some of the common signs of sleep apnea include, chronic snoring, pauses in breathing, daytime sleepiness, and choking or gasping during sleep. If your partner notices that you have these symptoms while you are sleeping, you should go to a doctor for an assessment of your condition.
It is best to have your sleep apnea diagnosed and treated by a doctor. If left untreated, you won’t be getting the needed rest you need, which will leave you feeling tired and unable to concentrate the next day, and may even lead to serious health problems down the road.
Clear up your nasal passage before heading to bed. If you suffer from sleep apnea and have problems with a “stuffed up” nose, using a nasal spray or device can help clear your nasal airway. This is not a permanent solution, but one you can use when your apnea symptoms are the worst.
Avoid drinking alcohol. Getting buzzed or drunk causes your airways to relax too much. If someone goes to sleep in a drunk state, you can hear the effects from their deep snoring. In someone who already suffers from sleep apnea, it can be very dangerous. Avoid alcoholic drinks to sleep safer.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, avoid using sleeping pills. Sleeping pills relax your palate and the muscles in your throat, which causes you to have even more trouble breathing while you sleep. Sleeping pills can actually really harm you and prevent any air from coming through your body, so stay away from them as much as possible.
Stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Your regular sleeping patterns already suffer due to your condition. Whatever you are able to do to keep a regular sleep pattern will help you to be in better health and less exhausted during the day. The most important adjustment to make is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
If you are a smoker and suffer from sleep apnea, quit, or at the very least, cut back dramatically. Smoking is dangerous for those who suffer from sleep apnea because it causes swelling to the airways, not to mention all the tar it leaves behind in your lungs and airways.
It is better to sleep on your side if you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea strikes back sleepers the most. Prop yourself on your side using pillows or cushions.
If you have sleep apnea, you should not drink excessively. When you drink, the alcohol causes the muscles in your throat to relax, which will impede your airway and cause snoring. So stop drinking because this will only be a detriment to your sleep. Doing so will minimize the chance that alcohol will interfere with your sleep.
Quit smoking. Not only is it a good idea to quit smoking for your health in general, but it will also help with your sleep apnea. Smoking affects your lungs and respiratory system, causing your airways to swell and exacerbating your sleep apnea. By quitting, you allow your airways to return to normal and as an added bonus, you’ll also save a ton of money!
If you suffer from sleep apnea, it’s important that you stay away from sleeping pills, cough syrup, or any other medication that may make you drowsy before going to sleep. These medications over-relax the throat muscles during sleep, even causing them to “collapse”, making it hard for enough air to come through.
Sleep apnea begins in the throat, and exercising the throat muscles can help prevent apnea. In an effort to strengthen throat muscles, many exercises can be done to help.
Snoring and sleep apnea are two, totally different things. It’s important that you know the difference between the two so you can see your doctor if you think you have it. Signs of sleep apnea include extremely loud snoring, fatigue in the daytime, choking or gasping for air at nighttime and labored breathing.
As was discussed earlier, sleep apnea is a very serious and all too common medical disorder that afflicts many millions of people throughout the world. If you yourself suffer from the disorder, apply everything that you have learned from this article to your life and ensure that you are doing everything you can to protect your health.
