How to Deal With Sleep Apnea

According to the National Institutes of Health, sleep apnea affects more than twelve million people in America alone. Derived from the Greek language the word apnea literally means “without a breath”, so combined that with sleep apnea and you have a sleep disorder that is characterized by an interruption of breathing while a person is sleeping. Some people with sleep apnea can stop breathing while sleeping hundreds of times during the course of a night. Once a person has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, they will have to incorporate some lifestyle changes in order to deal with sleep apnea; and, if their condition is severe, it may warrant surgical correction.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Saline nasal spray
• Breathing device

1. Take control of weight. For a person that is overweight and diagnosed with sleep apnea, it is important to lose weight. Excessive weight, especially in the upper portion of the body, can contribute to obstructing and blocking the airway, which can cause an interruption in breathing—sleep apnea.

2. Stay away from alcohol consumption. Alcohol depresses the body and relaxes muscles. A person with sleep apnea does not want to encourage the muscles of the throat to relax, because this will constrict the airway and obstruct normal breathing.

3. Avoid medications, specifically sedatives like sleeping pills and tranquilizers. Again, this will cause the muscles of the throat to relax and prevent normal breathing. It is important not to partake in situations that will heighten the chance of sleep apnea episodes.

4. Quit smoking. Smoking constricts vessels and negatively impacts normal breathing. It can also irritate and weaken the throat muscles. A person with sleep apnea does not need to do anything that will contribute to them experiencing sleep apnea, and smoking does contribute to it.

5. Raise the head of the bed. By elevating the head of the bed, a person with sleep apnea encourages better air-flow and breathing. It helps to keep the breathing airway unobstructed, which can lessen the chances of sleep apnea occurring.

6. Learn to sleep in a side lying position or abdominal position. For people that sleep on their back, this causes the tongue to rest against the back portion of the throat. This can block the breathing passage.

7. Use saline nasal spray. This will help open the nasal passages for better air intake.

8. Wear a breathing device. Those that suffer from sleep apnea can be fitted with a device that works to give a continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. This apparatus consists of a special mask that is worn over the nose and mouth while the person is sleeping. The mask will work to keep the person’s airway open by adding pressure to the actual air the person breaths.

9. Surgery may be necessary for severe cases of sleep apnea. This may include removing the person’s tonsils and extra tissue that may be present in their throat.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the temperature in the bedroom on the cooler side, but not too cold. A room that is very hot can cause a person to have trouble breathing, stuff up the nose and hinder proper breathing.
• Sleep apnea that goes undiagnosed or untreated can contribute to serious health problems like hypertension, heart disease and strokes.
• Since sleep apnea is a sleep disorder, it interferes with normal sleeping and causes a person to not feel rested. This can contribute to dangerous traffic accidents if the person falls asleep while driving. It can also be dangerous for the person to operate potentially dangerous machinery.

Resources

• Webmd: Sleep Apnea

[dmorrt]

on 6/22/2009 Sleeping with a CPAP device takes a little getting use to especially when your CPAP pressures are greater than 10. Don't be dismayed if you can't get use to high pressures and a full face mask because there are numerous masks (interfaces) you can try. A lot of people that can't tolerate a full face next try a nasal only interface but even that is troublesome to some folks. I personally find patients are more compliant with nasal pillows. Pillows are a type of interface that fit inside each nostril. If you are a mouth breather dont be dismayed because there is a combination device that is both nasal pillows and mouth mask. Work with your home care company to try different interfaces and find the one that works best for you. Do not give up on therapy. Trying your CPAP for half a night throwing it off and then not putting it back on because you don't like the way it feels isn't g...

[grouch]

on 12/7/2007 Needed informaion. Thanks a bunch. For those people who feel that they just could not wear the mask for a breathing device there is another option that covers the nose only and allows for a not so close feeling.