Effective Non Surgical Sleep Apnea Treatments
There are several sleep apnea treatments that can come to your rescue and finally allow you to fall asleep. They range from surgery to alternative sleep apnea treatments and cognitive behavioral therapies which many doctors recommend. Whichever treatment method you prefer, it is important that your condition gets treated ASAP. Ignoring its symptoms as common fatigue pointers can be catastrophic. How so? The following health risks are all related to sleep apnea:
- Sudden death
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Automobile accidents
- Lack of attentiveness
Fortunately, all is not lost, even for that person trying to put up with severe sleep apnea. You only need to book an appointment with your doctor, who will examine your condition and recommend the best sleep apnea treatments. That said, brace yourself for any of the following sleep apnea treatments options.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Suitable for those experiencing mild cases of sleep apnea, behavioral therapy is universally accepted as one of the best ways to treat sleep apnea. Many patients prefer the therapy mainly because it does not involve use of complicated breathing machines like the sleep apnea mouth guard. It is also less costly and effective.
- Weight Loss
You may not know it but just 10% drop in weight can make a significant different in the quality of an apneic patient’s sleep. The logic behind this treatment option is simple. Excess fat enlarges sensitive tissues on the back of your throat. This causes excessive fibrillation and closure of the air passage while sleeping. Losing weight can either reduce or get rid of the enlarged tissues. Your air passage will then be freed and before you know it, your apnea and snoring episodes will be a thing of the past.
- Quitting on Bad Habits
Reduce how often you ingest the following:
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Sleeping pills
- Sedatives
Again, the logic here is simple. Reducing how often you consume the said substances will reduce inflammation of the throat and ultimately stop snoring or prevent sleep apnea from occurring. If terminating these habits seems like a farfetched dream to you, try as much as possible not to smoke, drink, swallow sleeping pills of consume sedatives before you sleep.
- Getting Off From Your Back
Switch from back-sleeping to sleeping on your side. This is actually one of the easiest sleep apnea treatments, so it shouldn’t bother you at all. Sleeping on your side prevents your tongue from moving towards the back of your throat. This keeps apnea episodes at bay and allows you to enjoy your sleep. To make the whole exercise simple, use a pillow to promote side sleeping or sew a tennis ball on the back of your sleeping shirt to keep your lying on your back through the night.
- Regulating Sleeping Time
Have a simple, regulated and consistent sleeping time. This way, your body will conform to crucial sleep stages without being disrupted. Then remember to have enough sleep time, which in most cases is nothing short of 8 hours.
- Other Treatment Options
There is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, otherwise known as CPAP. Then there are sleep apnea oral appliances like the already aforementioned mouth guard. All these are effective sleep apnea treatments but are somehow costly. What’s more, you may not need them should you seek medical assistance as soon as you notice the first symptom.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea can be easily treated during its toddler stages. With all sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no reason at all to put up with the condition. You just have to keep in touch with your doctor and understand how effective new sleep apnea treatments are. Then practice healthy eating habits and start enjoying a restful sleep.