Sleep apnea can run your whole life if you let it. It interferes with your sleep and leaves you tired and weak throughout the day. It is inconvenient and dangerous when it isn’t treated. Use the tips and trick below to treat your sleep apnea and enjoy life more.
If your sleep apnea is the result of having narrow breathing passages, a mouth guard can help you out. They are designed to help you breathe properly at night by aligning your airways. Speak with your doctor to learn more, and get yourself fitted for a mouth guard if you think it will help.
Skip sleeping pills if you are prone to bouts of sleep apnea. You may feel you need them to get to sleep, but they have a similar effect as alcohol on the body. They also have additional side effects besides the obvious ones. Stay away if you want to lessen your sleep apnea symptoms.
If you have just been diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP, join a CPAP support group. It can be quite difficult to get used to sleeping with a mask on your face every night. Sitting in a room full of other people going through the same thing can be very empowering. You can learn from others who have had the same issues you are having and made adjustments to make it work.
Check if a corrective device can help alleviate your sleep apnea symptoms. Having an overbite, an undersized jaw or a recessed chin can cause your airway to be more narrow because of how your jawbone is set. These devices help create proper alignment of your jaw while you sleep, opening up your airway more. As a result, you experience fewer sleep apnea symptoms.
Drink less alcohol and smoke less if you suffer from sleep apnea. Alcoholic beverages cause the upper airway to become overly relaxed, and smoking causes swelling in your airway. So, cutting back or completely giving up both can improve your symptoms or even cure your sleep apnea problem completely.
Exercise your throat. Make faces. Stick out your tongue. Rotate your jaw. It might feel a bit silly, but it can actually help people who suffer from sleep apnea. Doing these things exercises the muscles your body needs to moderate its breathing. Studies have shown that doing these exercises a few times a day can make a huge difference.
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is essential that you stop smoking immediately. People who smoke are 3 times more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than non smokers or those who have quit smoking. There are many wonderful programs that can help you kick the habit.
Do not take pain medications such as morphine. This medication can lower your oxygen level and make your symptoms even worst. If you take a high dose of morphine, your life could be in danger. If you go to the hospital and are given a pain medication, let the doctors know you have sleep apnea.
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.
If you have sleep apnea, and you smoke, it’s crucial that you quit right away. Smoking causes the throat to inflame, making it hard for air to get into your airways. In fact, studies suggest that smoking may cause or worsen sleep apnea in some patients. So, avoid it altogether!
You should adopt a healthy lifestyle and monitor your weight and blood pressure. Your doctor should be able to advise you on your diet and perhaps on a fitness program if you need to be more active. Living a healthy life should really help you reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.
If your sleep apnea is caused by misalignment of your jaw, which results in the narrowing of your airway, you may benefit from visiting a doctor. A doctor can look at the alignment and suggest a night mouth guard that will force your airways to stay open while sleeping by holding your jaw in proper alignment.
Certain cases of sleep apnea can be treated with corrective oral devices. The reason for this is that some people have abnormally shaped jaws, which naturally narrows the airways. When a device to re-align the jaw is used during sleep, more air can be allowed in.
Alcohol has also been shown to negatively exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea. As a depressant it relaxes your throat muscles, making it easier for your airway to become blocked. By not drinking in the hours leading up to bedtime you give yourself a better chance of keeping your airways open.
If your physician prescribes a CPAP machine for treating your sleep apnea, ask for a heated humidifier and additional bacterial filters for your machine. The durable medical equipment supplier may not automatically provide these, but they will help to minimize bacterial growth and keep your nasal passages moist and comfortable.
If you are thinking you could have sleep apnea, go to your doctor. This can be a complex condition, and getting restful sleep is too vital to simply make assumptions about what is going on. Let your doctor know of every single detail so that he or she can give you a diagnosis. Once you know, immediately take action.
Subscribe to a good health insurance policy. Being diagnosed with sleep apnea might cause your premiums to go up, but purchasing a good policy will help you cover the cost of your CPAP machine and frequent visits to the doctor. Compare different policies and purchase the most coverage you can afford.
As stated above, sleep apnea can take control of your days and nights. Leaving you waking up throughout the night and still tired in the morning can take a lot out of your day. Use the helpful tips listed above to take control of your life back and enjoy each waking (and sleeping) moment.
