Many people do not realize they have a potentially dangerous condition called sleep apnea, because they don’t talk to their doctor about their symptoms. This disorder occurs when the airway partially collapses during sleep, and this hinders a person’s ability to breathe properly. If you want information on this scary and life-threatening condition, read this article.
Do you smoke and/or drink? If you suffer from sleep apnea, quit smoking and cut down on your alcohol consumption. These types of substances restrict your airways. Smoking swells up your airways, while drinking depresses your nervous system and muscles into excess relaxation. This can both cause and exacerbate sleep apnea. If you find that you just can’t give these bad habits up, do what you can to not do either of them within four hours of your bedtime.
If your sleep apnea is the result of narrow airways, try using a mouth guard when you sleep. These guards look similar to what athletes use, but are specifically made to change the position of the tongue, jaw and palate while you sleep and keep your airway open. Speak with your doctor concerning mouth guards, and have yourself fitted for one, provided your doctor agrees.
If you have sleep apnea, yet you drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, quitting could alleviate your symptoms. Both of these habits have a negative effect on the muscles in your airway. Some people resort to invasive surgeries to correct their sleep apnea without realizing that discontinuing these bad habits could have been a more simple and much cheaper route!
If you want to ease your sleep apnea, it’s crucial that you speak with your physician regarding CPAP machines and which is best for you. These machines might be loud, but they can help you get through the night. There are some very small and quiet machines available. Your doctor can help you pick a manufacturer for a good quality machine.
Using a wind instrument can be a huge help in treating your sleep apnea. Playing this kind of instrument strengthens your muscles in the upper airways. These muscles are responsible for the strength of your airway passage and its ability to dilate. Because of these movements, if you play this instrument regularly, you can control your sleep apnea symptoms and get a better night’s rest.
Quit smoking and drinking. These habits can cause airways to relax too much, which can worsen sleep apnea and snoring. Avoiding these temptations can put more money back in your pocket, and is a lot more cost effective than expensive surgeries that may no longer be necessary.
Get a custom mouth guard. These special guards are designed to help people who suffer with sleep apnea. The mouth guard is more comfortable to use than a CPAP machine that works by applying constant positive airway pressure. You will find that this mouth guard stabilizes the soft tissues and allows the airways to be more open.
Sleep Apnea
Avoid drinking alcohol very often. Alcohol causes your muscles to relax. If the throat muscles are too relaxed, they can collapse and block your airway. Your throat muscles become relaxed and cause your airways to become blocked. If you feel you must drink, try not to do it as often or before you go to sleep.
Playing with some wind instruments can help get rid of your sleep apnea. German researchers suggest playing the didgeridoo regularly trains your upper airway muscles. It helps to strengthen the muscles in the throat, which collapse during sleep apnea episodes. This means that practicing regularly with a wind instrument will reduce the severity of sleep apnea symptoms that you experience.
Going to bed on your side can be something you can do to help you get better rest if you have sleep apnea. When you sleep on your back, the airways get obstructed due to the throat and nasal passages being more prone to obstruction. Try very hard to rest on your side, and you may find your symptoms alleviated.
If your doctor has prescribed a CPAP machine for you, make sure you use it every night, for at least 4 hours. Using a CPAP while sleeping is a tough adjustment for many patients to make. Four hours of use daily is recommended with a CPAP machine to see the medical benefits. If you still have trouble adjusting, get at least four hours and try to add more time each night.
Your doctor may suggest keeping a sleep journal to help pinpoint if you have sleep apnea or not. Sleep logs are records where patients write down the length and quality of their sleep. If you have a partner, you can find out about snoring issues, breathing issues or flailing limb issues. With this information, your doctors can make a final determination on whether or not you suffer from sleep apnea.
You should know that aside from helping you to lose weight, healthy food can also help to lessen sleep apnea symptoms, too. Despite what you may think, diet plays a major part in the ability to sleep. There is scientific data that suggests that eating a poor diet can worsen sleep apnea, independent of a person’s weight.
If you are using a CPAP machine but having trouble keeping your mouth closed, you should consider using a chin strap. This little piece of fabric can work wonders to hold your chin that your breathing is not interrupted. If your mouth falls open when you sleep, your CPAP therapy won’t be effective. Use this device to try and solve the problem.
Sleep while on your side. Sleeping on your back is more likely to cause snoring and apnea. Sleeping flat on your back may cause your throat and mouth tissues to obstruct your airways. Try to sleep on your side to avoid that. If you usually sleep on your back, make a conscious effort to change your ways.
Make sure you have something with you at all times that explains that you suffer from sleep apnea and you use a CPAP. This is particularly important if you have an accident and require overnight hospitalization. The identification should say that you suffer from apnea and that you need a CPAP set at a particular pressure level.
Be sure to make use of nasal spray for a runny, stuffy, itchy nose. This will help clear your nasal passages before you go to bed. However, never use this spray over a long period of time, since it can cause your nose to irritated and damaged. Take a trip to the local pharmacy to see what they have available to help with keeping your nose open when you’re sleeping.
If you are using a CPAP when dealing with sleep apnea, get your doctor to prescribe you a heated humidifier. Warm, moist air will help keep you asleep comfortably. Try and get a CPAP machine that has a humidifier built into it; your doctor should be able to point you in the right direction.
After reading this article, you should now know what sleep apnea is and how it affects people’s lives. You must talk to a doctor for more information, whether you just want to learn more or you think you have it.
If you are going to be on a plane a long time, then get in touch with the airline company to inform them that you need your CPAP machine for sleeping. Most carriers will make sure they seat you with plenty of room to accommodate your machine. If you happen to be flying overseas on a foreign airline, make sure you have the right power adapter.