Understanding Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 • by Dr. Gregory Brown

The syndrome known as sleep apnea occurs when a person has trouble breathing while asleep. Fortunately, there are many ways to deal with sleep apnea syndrome, and many of them are effective.

Most sleep apnea cures are relatively straightforward, but the key point is that the sleep apnea sufferer must be serious about making changes in his or her sleeping habits and lifestyle in general.

It may be wise to seek advice from a sleep disorder doctor when trying to overcome sleep apnea. If the cause of sleep apnea is not immediately clear, a sleep study should be done to ensure there are not related medical conditions which make for difficulty breathing while asleep.

Weight Issues and Sleep Apnea

If an individual is overweight, sleep apnea problems will be compounded. Losing significant amounts of weight can greatly mitigate the symptoms of this sleep disorder. Many people find that they sleep better and can breathe more normally after losing extra body weight.

Change Your Sleeping Position

It is best to avoid sleeping on one’s back. Breathing obstructions that occur during sleep are more pronounced when a person is sleeping on his or her back. Having said that, adjusting to sleeping on one’s side can sometimes be hard, particularly when a person has been sleeping face up all of their life.

How Alcohol Affects Sleep

Avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed, because it causes the throat muscles to relax. The chances of obstructed breathing are thereby increased, meaning that normal sleep patterns are interrupted. It’s best to avoid drinking alcohol in the evening in order to achieve a more restful night’s sleep.

Cure Sleep Apnea with Lifestyle Changes

Making changes to one’s lifestyle is vital when trying to overcome sleep apnea. Lack of sleep leads to a host of other health issues, such as irritability, poor concentration and a weakened immune system.

When the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it cannot restore and revitalize itself. More serious health problems will eventually surface as a result of a chronic lack of sleep, which is why cures for insomnia are so important.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Learning to breathe properly can help cure sleep apnea. Breathing therapy, Didgeridoo therapy and Singing therapy are all forms of breath control that strengthen the muscles of the airways.

There is also a dental device for sleep apnea which holds the jaw in a forward position, opening your airway while you sleep. It will be necessary for you to visit a dentist to have a sleep apnea oral device custom-made for you.

For serious cases of sleep apnea syndrome, there is the option of apnea surgery to change the structure of the airway. Both throat and nasal surgery can relieve symptoms by clearing out obstructions which may be interfering with normal breathing patterns while asleep.

Sleep Apnea CPAP Device

CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. A medical device uses respiratory ventilation to treat sleep apnea.

While wearing a mask connected to a hose, the machine pumps pressurized air into your throat and lungs as you sleep. It is the most common treatment of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea), but is expensive and can have significant side effects.

Fortunately, most people are able to deal with sleep apnea by making certain changes in their sleeping habits, along with more general lifestyle adjustments. It is often a process of trial-and-error until the right combination is found to make sleep apnea syndrome a manageable condition.

Having said that, sleep apnea is often a problem that requires years of behavior modification to overcome, and may require more serious intervention via surgery or CPAP medical device.