What Can You Do If You Have Sleep Apnea?
Do you snore very, very loudly? Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea and have been scared into thinking that you will be forced to sleep with a machine attached to your body for the rest of your life? This can be scary; to think that you could die because you snore. Well, there is good news for you if you suffer from sleep apnea.
You might find that you can effectively cure your sleep apnea by just making a few lifestyle changes that really won’t be too bad. For instance, did you know that one of the causes of your sleep apnea could be the way you sleep? If you sleep on your back, you may find that you snore more. Many side sleepers do not suffer from sleep apnea because the tissues of their throat and soft palette are not compressing on the airway. So, maybe if you could change the way you sleep, you might find that you stopped snoring and effectively eliminated your sleep apnea. The problem is making sure to stay on your side all night long. So, there are other life style changes you can try which will help you to eliminate this condition.
Another factor which affects whether or not you will have sleep apnea is your weight. Research shows that people who have thick necks and are overweight are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. When a person weighs more, the heavy weight that rests on the airways when that person lies flat can cause them to suffer from sleep apnea. One of the biggest lifestyle changes a person who suffers from sleep apnea can make is to lose a dramatic amount of weight. While a loss of even 10 pounds can help to ease the symptoms of sleep apnea, the greater the weight loss, the better the results in working to eliminate this condition.
Another problem that also can be associated with sleep apnea is stuffed nasal passages. When a person suffers from blocked nasal passages, this can have a suction like effect on the soft pallet and throat, which will increase the chances of snoring and compression on the airway. Stuffed nasal passages can occur for a number or reasons, including allergies and colds, but can also be caused from conditions such as warm dry air, which can cause the nasal passages to become irritated and swell up. You can work to ease this condition by using saline nasal spray, which will keep the nasal airways lubricated and consider using a vaporizer to increase the amount of moisture in the air when you sleep. You might also want to make sure that your room is very clean, so that you don’t find you get stuffed up from dust or pollen that could be lurking beneath your bed.
You should also consider making healthy changes such as cutting back on the amount of alcohol you consume before you bed, which can cause the muscles in the throat to over-relax and also, work toward quitting smoking if you do. Over time, both of these habits can have negative side effects which can increase your chances of suffering from sleep apnea.
In the end, you can ease and in many cases, eliminate your sleep apnea by changing some of the things you do in your every day life. So, what would you rather, a good, restful and quiet night of sleep or the constant restless snoring which you always do now?
