Lifestyle Treatment of Sleep Apnea.
Lifestyle Treatment Of Sleep Apnea.
Exercise.
Research has shown that exercise can help reduce breathing issues in sleep apnea and increase the patient’s energy for the day. Resistant training, yoga, and aerobic exercises are recommended to improve breathing and helps strengthen the muscles in the patient’s airway.
Losing Weight.
Patients who are overweight are affected mainly by sleep apnea, and a major solution is to lose weight which helps eradicate this problem. Weight loss would help reduce the breathing problem experienced and also bring down the patient blood pressure. Hence, weight loss is a good step towards treating sleep apnea.
Sleeping On One Side.
Some Sleeping positions can worsen sleep apnea symptoms. Sleeping on the stomach or sleeping on the back can restrict breathing as the tongue, jaw goes towards the throat while sleeping in these positions. This puts pressure on the airway, making it narrow. Hence patients suffering from sleep apnea can help decrease occurrences by lying on their sides to keep the airway open and reduce breathing restrictions.
Avoid Alcohol And Sleeping Pills.
Sleeping pills and alcohol should be avoided as much as possible and especially before bedtime. This is because they can obstruct breathing while sleeping by relaxing the muscles in the throat. Medications like valium, Klonopin, Codeine, Percocet, and Benadryl are examples of unhealthy pills that must be avoided.
Quit Smoking.
Smoking can worsen sleep apnea symptoms by increasing fluid retention and cause inflammation in the airway and throat. Hence, it should be avoided as much as possible.
Caffeine
Avoid caffeine and heavy meals before going to bed as they can worsen breathing issues in sleep apnea patients.
Medical And Therapeutic Treatment For Handling Sleep Apnea Cpap Machine.
A continuous positive airway pressure machine is a recommended device used in treating sleep apnea. A CPAP machine keeps the airway open during sleep by sending oxygen into the nose and mouth while enabling normal breathing. This device is worn like a mask at bedtime, and its air pressure can be regulated through the device setting to suit the patient preference.
Bpap Machine.
BPAP machine is a none invasive ventilation therapy that helps normalize breathing in sleep apnea patients. This device uses pressure to supply air to the lungs, thereby keeping them open while increasing oxygen in the blood and eliminating carbon dioxide. It is worn like a mask at bedtime, and the air pressure is regulated through the settings. It also has a timer used to the number of breaths every minute.
Asv Machine.
An adaptive servo-ventilation machine, also known as the ASV machine, is another machine for helping sleep apnea patients. It regulates and alternates between high and low air pressure when a sleep apnea patient breaths in and out during sleep. When a patient is sleeping, and the device feels the muscle in the airway suddenly stopped functioning, it increases its air pressure to enable the patient to continue breathing. This device is worn like a mask before going to bed.
Upper Airway Stimulation.
This is a small electrical device that detects a patient’s breathing pattern through the chest airway muscles and stimulates these muscles to enhance breathing as it keeps the airway open.
Surgery.
If, after using these recommended devices and there is still no improvement in a patient’s breathing pattern, surgery may become necessary. A Surgeon would have to adjust the muscles in the airway that obstruct the breathing pattern while focusing on the tongue, soft palate/uvula, upper/lower jaw, and tonsils/adenoids.
Surgery is a last option treatment and should only be used if it is necessary.
Nevertheless, if you desire to start treatment for sleep apnea, you must consult your doctor for advice to know if you are fit for the procedure. If you do not have a personal doctor, you can search “Sleep Apnea Treatment Near You” to get a local listing of sleep Apnea clinics near your area to book an appointment. However, if you live in Spring, TX or near Spring, then you can get a dentist near your residence by searching “Sleep Apnea Treatment in Spring Tx, SleepApnea Treatment Near Spring Tx or Sleep Apnea Treatment in 77379” to book an appointment.