Sleep apnea is a very serious medical condition, especially if left untreated. When you suffer from sleep apnea you stop breathing while you are sleeping and it can clearly pose many health risks. It is highly recommended to see a doctor if you are diagnosed with the disorder, however, there are some treatment tips and tricks that can help with your everyday living and even improve your overall health & well-being.
Lose Weight - More than 50% of people that suffer from sleep apnea are overweight. Making subtle changes to your diet can dramatically impact your sleeping and overall sleep apnea.
Stop Smoking - Smoking increases the swelling in your upper airway making sleep apnea (and snoring) a lot worse than it should be. By cutting smoking from your life, your sleep apnea can become dramatically improved.
Don't Use Sleeping Pills - Unknown to many sleeping pill users, the pills decrease the muscle tone in the back of your throat decreasing the amount of airflow you take in.
Limit or Stop Drinking - Just like sleeping pills, drinking (especially before bed) decreases your air intake making the sleep apnea symptoms even worse.
Allergy Treatments - If you suffer from allergies and sleep apnea, you know how bad it can get especially during a flare-up. When a person suffers from nasal allergies it will swell the tissues in your airways and make them narrower, so it’s harder to breathe.
Sleeping Positions - If you are a notorious back sleeper, your sleep apnea can become difficult to manage. There are different devices and home remedies, like putting two tennis balls into a tube sock and stuffing it towards the back of your pajamas--this will assist you in side-sleeping.
Sleep apnea goes untreated too often, and those who suffer from this condition rarely take actionable steps to sleep better. Major warning signs of sleep apnea include loud and chronic snoring nightly, pauses in breathing while sleeping, choking and snorting during sleep, waking up in the night feeling short of breath, and/or daytime fatigue.
In addition to the sleep apnea treatments listed above, for those who are diagnosed with a moderate or a severe case of sleep apnea, a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) mask is highly recommended. This mask is designed to deliver enough pressure to your airways to keep them open, thus eliminating any instances of closure.
If you suffer from sleep apnea or want to talk to Dr. Erik Sloman-Moll about potential treatment options, contact our Laredo, TX office today to set up an appointment!