Excellent Tips for Treating Sleep Apnea

loud snoring

The conventional way of treating sleep apnea is putting on a CPAP mask from WellAware Systems. Although this method is one of the best remedies for this condition, some individuals find the masks uncomfortable. Tips for treating sleep apnea can make your night time bearable. Let’s see other alternative treatments that may assist in managing sleep apnea with little or no discomfort.

Watch Your Body Weight

Increased body weight is a risk for individuals with sleep apnea; that’s why doctors recommend such individuals to lose weight. The increased weight leads to narrow passages and obstruction of air-flow. This airway obstruction worsens while one is asleep; thus, it’s vital to losing weight if you suffer sleep apnea.

weighing scale

If you reduce your weight, you are in a better position to manage the effects of sleep apnea. Weight loss has, in some cases, been found effective in eliminating sleep apnea.

Avoid Alcohol & Smoking

You’re already aware that smoking and excessive alcohol consumption has adverse effects on your health, but did you know these habits worsen your sleep apnea symptoms? Smoking cigarettes result in swelling of your upper airway, thus making worse pause breathing and snoring. On the other hand, alcohol reduces muscle tone at the back of the throat, thus interfering with air-flow. If you have breathing problems, the last thing that can happen to you is interference in air-flow.

Manage Your Allergies

If you have nasal or respiratory tract allergies, breathing and sleeping become a nightmare. The airway is a long tube that runs from your nostrils to your lungs. If you have allergies affecting the airway, especially the upper parts, these regions swell and become narrow, making breathing a little harder. If you’ve any allergies affecting your respiratory tract, you should talk to your doctor on ways of bringing them under control. Your doctor may prescribe nasal sprays that you can use before going to bed.

Positional Therapy

Positional therapy is the best remedy to deal with positional sleep apnea. Some individuals experience sleep apnea if they sleep on their back. When such individuals sleep on their side, breathing normalizes. If you want to practice positional therapy, you should put on a special device on your back or waist to enable you to sleep on your side. When you’re sleeping on your back, your soft palate and tongue rest on your throat blocking the airways. When you sleep on your abdomen or side, your airways are open, and breathing isn’t obstructed.

Use a Humidifier

Humidifiers are gadgets that increase moisture in the air. Dry air irritates the respiratory system. When you use humidifiers, you decrease congestion, open their airway, and promote clearer breathing. If you want extra health benefits, you should consider, adding eucalyptus, lavender or peppermint to the humidifier. These essential oils have soothing and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Although CPAP machines are the primary method used in treating sleep apnea, alternative methods such as the ones shared above have proved useful in treating sleep apnea.