Sleep Apnea Solutions
Sleep apnea is a disease in which breathing is interrupted during sleep. Recent studies in the US suggests that 1 in 15 Americans suffer from sleep apnea — most of whom go untreated. Sleep apnea is much different from snoring. While snoring occurs when air is moving, sleep apnea occurs when air is stopped. And although snoring can be annoying to loved ones, sleep apnea can cause serious health issues.
As is typical in US medicine, surgical options are frequently cited as “best care”. However, many natural sleep apnea solutions are available. An easy and natural solution is to sleep on one’s side, which lessens the chance of blockages. Specially formed pillows may help sufferers re-learn sleeping habits and lessen the frequency of wakening. Some people have had good results from sleeping with a tennis ball taped to their back — perfectly comfortable for side-sleeping but miserable for back-sleeping. Regardless of the shape of the pillow, elevating the head 6-8 inches has been shown to improve sleep results and airway flow. Just upgrading your pillow to a firmer, thicker one may have good results.
Similarly, improving the sleep routine may also have strong results. This includes calming down before sleep, avoiding caffeine, and not reading or working in bed. Having a stable and consistent sleep routine may also be helpful. Avoiding alcohol or sedatives around sleeping times may also stop muscles from over-relaxing, and thus blocking air passages. Also make sure that the bedroom is very dark. Adding additional curtains to block light may aid in reaching deeper levels of sleep.
A particular risk factor for sleep apnea is excess weight. If a sufferer is overweight, losing this excess weight may have a positive impact on the frequency of wakening. Keeping trim has many other positive impacts as well.
Since sleep apnea is caused by blockage of air passageways, you may use one of many natural solutions to keep air passages open. Nasal strips or dilators can be helpful in less severe cases. A gentle and natural salt water rinse can open up nasal packages before sleep. Some people also will benefit from a humidifier in the bedroom. Regularly swimming will also help clean out nasal passages and improve your overall health.
Other natural remedies focus on building up the lungs and breath capacity. These can involve playing instruments requiring large lung capacity (e.g., trombones, tubas, etc.) or through singing practice. By training the lungs to be more efficient during waking hours, they become more efficient during sleeping hours as well.
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Sleep Apnea Treatments And Symptoms
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder where the normal breathing of a person is obstructed during the sleep and the airway, the upper one, becomes obstructed due to many reasons. It is characterized by breathing interruptions of about 10-20 seconds. These interruptions can range anything between 5-100 per hour. A variety of sleep apnea treatments are available.
Apnea in general means a period of time in which normal breathing is reduced or even completely stopped. The normal inflow of air can get reduced up to 75%. The person under the effects of sleep apnea may not even be aware of the fact that they suffer from it.
The common cause of sleep apnea is cessation of the airflow passage, which leads to reduced breathing or stopped breathing during sleep. The passage could be blocked by excess tissue in the path of the air. This is a common reason for sleep apnea in obese people. Even large uvula (tonsils) and large tongue tissue can obstruct the airflow passage leading to the development of the sleep disorder, sleep apnea.
The other site of airflow obstruction is the nasal passage. If you have persistent cold and/or cough, it also contributes to the development of this sleep disorder. Many times the structure of your jaw can also be a factor in sleep apnea.
Symptoms may also include daytime fatigue and irritation. However, the most common symptom of sleep apnea is frequent episodes of obstructed breathing while sleeping. Another symptom is usually snoring during sleeping. This snorting gets so loud that it becomes difficult for any possible bed partner to sleep. The person with sleep apnea disorder will awake at short intervals of time during the sleep due to obstructed breathing.
Some of the other common symptoms of sleep apnea include the after effects such as severe headache in the morning usually after getting up. Inability to concentrate, recall things and events. Excess release of stress hormones also mark the beginning of, or persisting of sleep apnea. It also can lead to cardiovascular diseases.
There are many signs and symptoms of this disorder. and if you think you might be suffering from sleep apnea or any other sleep disorder, consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and sleep apnea cures.
Tags: airflow obstruction, daytime fatigue, nasal passage, sleep, Sleep Apnea, sleep apnea symptoms, sleep apnea treatment, Sleep Apnea Treatments, sleep disorder, symptoms of sleep apnea