Many people do not know what they need to be on the look out for when it comes to sleep apnea. The signs of sleep apnea are fairly easy to pick up on once you have done a little research about it. Continue reading to learn what you need to know now.
Learn how to play a wind instrument. Studies have found that playing a wind instrument like the flute or the didgeridoo can help with sleep apnea. Wind instruments exercise your breathing and help your body get accustomed to taking in sufficient amounts of air. Your throat will be able to better control airway dilation.
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.
Are you using a CPAP for your sleep apnea? If so, then you should try to utilize it a minimum of four hours per night. Although it can be difficult to become accustomed to wearing a CPAP, it is an important tool in improving sleep apnea. Good health over the long term is what is important, and you need to build up the amount of time you use it until you can use it throughout the night. If it is hard and become difficult to adjust to in the beginning, then ensure you are using it at least four hours a night.
You should know that aside from helping you to lose weight, healthy food can also help to lessen sleep apnea symptoms, too. A lot of people are amazed at how a poor diet negatively affects sleep apnea. Studies show that people who eat low quality foods suffer from apnea worse than overweight people that eat healthy foods.
Try some throat and mouth exercises. One reason people suffer from sleep apnea is because their throats close when they sleep. Strengthening these muscles can decrease the chance that they will go slack while you are sleeping. Try some tongue, jaw and neck exercises to increase your throat strength.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, make sure your significant other or your family is aware of your condition. In emergency situations, it is vital that whoever is with you can tell the physician treating you about your condition during any emergency medical care. You should make them aware of both the apnea diagnosis and your treatment.
A great way to ensure that you do not sleep on your back and cause sleep apnea to occur is to use a tennis ball to prevent rolling onto your back. You can place one in a pillow behind your back and when you roll over in your sleep, the tennis ball will make you roll back on your side.
Did you know there are exercises that you can do to reduce your sleep apnea? Throat exercises are a great way to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea. Try pressing the tongue against the floor of your mouth. Use a toothbrush to brush the tongues tops and sides. Repeat this exercise three times a day for five repetitions.
The first thing you should do if you discover you have sleep apnea is take a long look at your weight. If you are overweight that can be increasing the problem. That means you need to take some time to learn about weight loss and exercise. Not only will your sleep improve, but your whole life will.
There are different ways that sleep specialists will treat sleep apnea. They may start by treating an underlying medical condition, using oxygen while you are sleeping or utilizing breathing devices that will manage your obstructive sleep apnea. They could prescribe medications that will help with the sleepiness, but will not help with the apnea itself.
Avoid anything that can make your sleep apnea worse, especially high altitudes. Sleeping in a high altitude ie. airplanes can actually make your symptoms worse as the loss of oxygen increases. If you must travel, make sure you talk to your physician about how you can relieve your symptoms of sleep apnea.
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.
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.
Avoid sleeping pills and cold medicines if you suffer with sleep apnea. Taking anything that makes you drowsy will also relax the muscles of the airway passage and this can cause blockages and interruptions. Try getting into a solid routine that will prepare your mind and body for sleep instead.
For sleep apnea patients who are using CPAP therapy, cleaning your equipment is essential to avoiding bacteria buildup that can lead to sinus infections. Simply washing your mask every couple days in a soapy solution of mild dishwashing liquid (i.e. Ivory Clear) is enough to wash away any harmful residue. Alternatively, you can obtain treated wipes from your DME provider or online that can be used to wipe down your mask each morning after use. Disinfecting in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water is recommended weekly.
Once you understand how to pinpoint sleep apnea symptoms, you can then go about getting a proper diagnosis for yourself or a loved one. There is no need to continue living a life where you are tired each day despite a full night of sleep. Good luck and do something about it now!
