Sleep apnea robs you of quality sleep and can destroy your health. You must get enough sleep in order to function in your day-to-day life. Fortunately, there are some things you can do about it. The following information will definitely allow to deal with your sleep apnea more effectively.
Sleep apnea can be connected to your weight. If you are overweight, consider going on a diet to lose a few pounds. Studies have shown that overweight people who suffer from sleep apnea were able to improve their symptoms by losing about 25 pounds in a year: give it a try!
Get a checkup regularly and act upon your doctor’s suggestions. Besides excess weight, you could be suffering from health issues such as heart disease and hypertension, which can greatly increase your chance of suffering from sleep apnea. Even problems with blood sugar can make sleeping a miserable experience for apnea sufferers.
For people who are using a CPAP machine, you need to take notes to give to your doctor. If you experience any symptoms, like snoring, that were eliminated when you started using the CPAP machine and they come back, you need to let your doctor know. Only your doctor can properly assess any problems.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to avoid drinking alcohol. Alcoholic beverages will relax the muscles in your throat, which makes it more likely that they will block your airway during your sleep. At the very least, avoid any alcoholic beverages in the evening before you get ready for bed.
If you have difficulties sleeping because of your sleep apnea, you should avoid driving or operating dangerous machines. If you do not get a good night of sleep, take public transportation instead of driving to prevent accidents and do not take a job in a factory or on a construction site.
If you think that you may have sleep apnea, set up a video of yourself as you sleep. Just be sure that the video recorder has sound capability. When you wake up, look at the video, and if it seems like something other than snoring is going on, it may be time to go to the doctor.
Strengthening your throat muscles can be very effective in reducing sleep apnea symptoms as well. The origin of sleep apnea is obstructed air flow in breathing, which is a consequence of soft tissue collapse in the rear of your throat. If your muscles are stronger, their chances of collapsing and blocking your airways are minimized.
The most important aspect of dealing with sleep apnea is understanding exactly what it is. Unlike simple snoring, it is when a sleeper stop’s breathing for a short period of time while he is sleeping. If your sleep partner tells you that sometimes you stop breathing, there is a good chance you have apnea.
Believe it or not, it has been scientifically proven that your sleep apnea can be tied to your weight. In a recent study, it was proven that people who have lost at least 25 pounds relieved their sleep apnea symptoms. This drastic slim down should be taken slowly, over the course of at least one year.
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.
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.
Learn to recognize sleep apnea. If you snore a lot or choke and can’t breathe during the night, this is probably a sign of sleep apnea. Use a tape recorded if you sleep alone and listen to the tape to find out how much noise you make during the night.
IF you have sleep apnea you can do exercises with your throat that may help. This is because when you exercise your throat it become stronger, allowing them to let air through them easier. For instance, place your tongue on the top of the inside of your mouth and keep it like that for about three minutes. Doing this at least one time every day can help you.
Drink alcohol as infrequently as possible if you suffer from sleep apnea. Alcohol relaxes the muscles in your throat making sleep apnea’s symptoms more severe. You need not stop drinking completely; however, it should be curtailed near bedtime.
Nasal strips may help lessen your symptoms of sleep apnea. These types of strips i.e. Breathe Right may be able to open your nasal passages. Remember that clogged nasal passages may not be your reason for sleep apnea problems, but these over-the-counter nasal strips may help you relieve or lessen symptoms.
Make some drastic lifestyle changes if you must, in order to cure your sleep apnea. This means if you are smoking, drinking or taking sedatives, avoid doing so. If you don’t, this can worsen your sleep apnea symptoms. If you are addicted to smoking or drinking, consider getting help before being able to relieve your sleep symptoms.
A newer, yet popular sleep apnea treatment is flower therapy. This is where a person sniffs flowers to help open up the airways to sleep better. Usually, it’s recommended that you try this treatment about 30 minutes prior to bed. Vervain is the most common flower used in this kind of treatment.
As you can now see, there are effective methods for handling sleep apnea. Use the suggestions and information from the above article, and you can get the sleep that you have been deprived of. When you get the rest you need, you’ll see many positive changes in your life.
