While anyone suffering from any medical condition, including sleep apnea, should always seek out medical attention, there are also some things that can be done alone. The most important thing to do is seek out information and tips, and that is exactly what this article is here for- information about sleep apnea.
If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, lose some weight. Being over-weight or obese can affect your breathing severely and can cause many health problems, including sleep apnea. Those individuals who lost at least twenty to twenty-five excess pounds saw a marked improvement in respiratory issues related to sleep apnea.
One way to improve your sleep apnea is to shed excess weight that you are carrying. Being overweight or obese places pressure on your neck, which can compress your windpipe as you sleep. Losing just 25 pounds can make a difference in your symptoms, and losing enough weight can eliminate the disorder altogether.
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.
Moderate your alcohol intake. Alcohol causes all the muscles in your body to lose their tension. You might want this consequence of consuming alcohol, but it also instigates sleep apnea. Your muscles will relax and collapse, which will make you snore and possibly cough through the night. If you're not going to give up alcohol, then just don't do it right before bedtime.
If you have tried a number of less drastic sleep apnea treatment options, you might want to consider discussing surgical treatment options for the condition with your primary care physician. Sleep apnea treatment surgery often involves increasing the diameter of your airway in an effort to reduce the number of apnea episodes that you experience.
Do you always sleep on your back? Try sleeping on your side instead. When you sleep on your back with a head propped on a pillow, your airways get narrower. Go to sleep on your side and use cushions to prevent yourself from rolling in your sleep. Your airways should remain open as long as you are on your side.
Try to avoid sleeping at high altitudes. High altitudes can worsen sleep apnea. The air in high altitudes is much thinner and, consequently, more difficult to breathe. Sleep apnea is already causing your body to take in less oxygen at night. A high altitude environment can only exacerbate your condition.
Doctors often recommend that sleep apnea patients consider treatment with a CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Protection - mask and machine. The machine sends air through a hose to a mask covering your nose. The purpose is to help keep your airway open so you are breathing normally as you sleep. While the machine may initially seem a little foreign and uncomfortable, a great many patients adapt quickly and find they are getting much more restful sleep as a result.
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.
While sedatives and other sleep medications may help you fall asleep they are not so good when suffering from apnea. If possible, avoid taking any sleep aids to see if this improves your apnea problems. You just may find that something you thought was helping you to sleep was actually decreasing the quality of your sleep.
Your nasal breathing may contribute to sleep apnea. If you have a stuffy nose, make sure that you help open your airways with a nose spray. Your local drugstore sells over the counter sprays that are great for this purpose, but feel free to ask a pharmacist for help choosing the right one.
A lot of people with sleep apnea sleep on their back. If you sleep on your back with sleep apnea the change this right away. The simple switch from sleeping on your back to your your side can help relieve symptoms of sleep apnea and allow you to have a better night's sleep.
Remain in touch with your physician and attend all scheduled doctor's visits following your diagnosis. Your general practitioner or specialist can give you the latest information and tips about staying in good health. After you have tried a specific treatment, make sure you let your doctor know what worked for you and what didn't.
If you use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)device for your sleep apnea, make sure you know how to put it on correctly. Make sure the straps are tightened just right and make sure the device is sealing over your air passageways. The device's fit is important to its operation.
Surgery may be your answer. If you have tried the at-home treatments with no success, surgery may be required to cure your sleep apnea. If your apnea is caused by severe misalignment of your jaw, you may require surgery to correct your alignment, thus enlarging your airway and curing the sleep apnea.
Alcohol should be avoided, especially before going off to bed. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are worsened by alcohol. Alcohol causes depression in the nervous system, which not only makes sleep apnea worse, but can also make it harder to wake up should breathing be impaired. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
If you have been prescribed a CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, request a demonstration. Although it may seem simple enough to use, there are many different types of CPAP devices and it is important that you understand how to use yours and which settings to use to best treat your apnea. If you have more questions later, make use of the help lines operated by the CPAP company.
Remember, this article doesn't substitute a doctor's advice, but it is a great resource for people who want tips about living with sleep apnea. If someone follows these tips they will be able to learn how to have a fulfilling, rested life in spite of living with sleep apnea daily.
If you have moderate to severe sleep apnea, lose some weight. Being over-weight or obese can affect your breathing severely and can cause many health problems, including sleep apnea. Those individuals who lost at least twenty to twenty-five excess pounds saw a marked improvement in respiratory issues related to sleep apnea.
One way to improve your sleep apnea is to shed excess weight that you are carrying. Being overweight or obese places pressure on your neck, which can compress your windpipe as you sleep. Losing just 25 pounds can make a difference in your symptoms, and losing enough weight can eliminate the disorder altogether.
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.
Moderate your alcohol intake. Alcohol causes all the muscles in your body to lose their tension. You might want this consequence of consuming alcohol, but it also instigates sleep apnea. Your muscles will relax and collapse, which will make you snore and possibly cough through the night. If you're not going to give up alcohol, then just don't do it right before bedtime.
If you have tried a number of less drastic sleep apnea treatment options, you might want to consider discussing surgical treatment options for the condition with your primary care physician. Sleep apnea treatment surgery often involves increasing the diameter of your airway in an effort to reduce the number of apnea episodes that you experience.
Do you always sleep on your back? Try sleeping on your side instead. When you sleep on your back with a head propped on a pillow, your airways get narrower. Go to sleep on your side and use cushions to prevent yourself from rolling in your sleep. Your airways should remain open as long as you are on your side.
Try to avoid sleeping at high altitudes. High altitudes can worsen sleep apnea. The air in high altitudes is much thinner and, consequently, more difficult to breathe. Sleep apnea is already causing your body to take in less oxygen at night. A high altitude environment can only exacerbate your condition.
Doctors often recommend that sleep apnea patients consider treatment with a CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Protection - mask and machine. The machine sends air through a hose to a mask covering your nose. The purpose is to help keep your airway open so you are breathing normally as you sleep. While the machine may initially seem a little foreign and uncomfortable, a great many patients adapt quickly and find they are getting much more restful sleep as a result.
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.
While sedatives and other sleep medications may help you fall asleep they are not so good when suffering from apnea. If possible, avoid taking any sleep aids to see if this improves your apnea problems. You just may find that something you thought was helping you to sleep was actually decreasing the quality of your sleep.
Your nasal breathing may contribute to sleep apnea. If you have a stuffy nose, make sure that you help open your airways with a nose spray. Your local drugstore sells over the counter sprays that are great for this purpose, but feel free to ask a pharmacist for help choosing the right one.
A lot of people with sleep apnea sleep on their back. If you sleep on your back with sleep apnea the change this right away. The simple switch from sleeping on your back to your your side can help relieve symptoms of sleep apnea and allow you to have a better night's sleep.
Remain in touch with your physician and attend all scheduled doctor's visits following your diagnosis. Your general practitioner or specialist can give you the latest information and tips about staying in good health. After you have tried a specific treatment, make sure you let your doctor know what worked for you and what didn't.
If you use a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure)device for your sleep apnea, make sure you know how to put it on correctly. Make sure the straps are tightened just right and make sure the device is sealing over your air passageways. The device's fit is important to its operation.
Surgery may be your answer. If you have tried the at-home treatments with no success, surgery may be required to cure your sleep apnea. If your apnea is caused by severe misalignment of your jaw, you may require surgery to correct your alignment, thus enlarging your airway and curing the sleep apnea.
Alcohol should be avoided, especially before going off to bed. Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders are worsened by alcohol. Alcohol causes depression in the nervous system, which not only makes sleep apnea worse, but can also make it harder to wake up should breathing be impaired. This is a disaster waiting to happen.
If you have been prescribed a CPAP machine to treat your sleep apnea, request a demonstration. Although it may seem simple enough to use, there are many different types of CPAP devices and it is important that you understand how to use yours and which settings to use to best treat your apnea. If you have more questions later, make use of the help lines operated by the CPAP company.
Remember, this article doesn't substitute a doctor's advice, but it is a great resource for people who want tips about living with sleep apnea. If someone follows these tips they will be able to learn how to have a fulfilling, rested life in spite of living with sleep apnea daily.
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