Understanding Sleep Apnea

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If you are on a budget, or simply don’t want to spend money without knowing if a product will be effective, free snoring treatments may be the answer you have been looking for. Free snoring treatments range from remedies that you can try at home to experimental sleep studies.

One of the best free snoring treatments that you can undergo is simply a change in your sleeping position. Rather than sleeping on your back, which is believed to be a leading cause of snoring, try sleeping on your side instead.

This is not only one of the best free snoring treatments, but also one of the quickest result producers. In fact, it may work on the first night. In addition, try sleeping on two pillows instead of one. The additional height may help to keep your air passages open, which is necessary if you want to eliminate snoring.

Weight loss is among the most healthy and free snoring treatments. Obesity is one of the leading causes of snoring and, as such, has an active role in it’s cure.

If you are overweight, or have been diagnosed with obesity, a diet and exercise program will help to prevent snoring and other medical illnesses. Weight loss is one of the healthiest free snoring treatments, which is beneficial in more ways that one.

If you have allergies, consider the possibility that you may be breathing airborne allergens that may be a cause of snoring. Why? Breathing results when airways are restricted, which is very common among allergy sufferers.

One of the best free snoring treatments available is simply the act of ridding your home of cigarette smoke, dust and pet hair. The regular use of air filtration units in every room will help to eliminate many unseen allergens.

If you have attempted home snoring remedies without success, consider a sleep study. This is an experimental study, which is often conducted by medical students and researchers, which is one of the best ways to receive free snoring treatments.

Sleep studies, when ordered by a physician, can be expensive. But, if you are fortunate enough to learn of free snoring treatments or sleep studies in your area, sign up and receive an evaluation at no cost.

This article is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be used as, or in place of, professional medical advice. Before beginning any treatment for snoring, please consult a doctor for a proper diagnosis and remedy.

Determining The Cause Of Snoring

Many things promise to cure it, but what exactly causes it? The cause of snoring varies from one individual to another, but there are several leading factors that are believed to behind this nighttime nuisance.

Obesity is believed to be a leading cause of snoring. Many physicians, therefore, recommend a program of diet and exercise in an effort to not only prevent snoring, but also to promote better health. If you have recently been diagnosed as being either overweight or obese, it may be time to consider a quality program to help shed some pounds along with your snoring habit.

Another main cause of snoring is when individuals sleep on their back. When this happens, the muscles and tissue tend to relax in the back of the throat and restrict air passages. By sleeping on your side, you may help to eliminate this problem and greatly reduce snoring.

The aging process is believed to be another cause of snoring. Researchers believe that, as the skin in the throat ages, it begins to lose it’s elasticity. When this happens, it is more likely to relax and cause air passages to be restricted.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that is also a serious cause of snoring. Symptoms include excessive snoring, pauses between breathing, awakening through the night with a feeling of choking or gasping for air, etc.

The reason this occurs is because, with sleep apnea, the airways become completely blocked and the sufferer actually stops breathing on multiple occasions throughout the night. Sleep apnea, if left untreated, may often lead to more serious medical conditions. Among them, heart problems, a stroke or other serious illness.

A sleep study, which is generally ordered by a physician, may help to diagnose the direct cause of snoring for each individual. The snoring sufferer spends one night at a sleep center, which monitors his/her breathing and snoring patterns throughout the night. The results are then studied by a physician who makes a final diagnosis.

Get Off Your Sleep Aids and Cure Your Sleep Disorder Naturally

With a large percentage of the public suffering from sleep disorders and it’s no wonder why many people cannot concentrate, are forgetful and are generally not functioning at an optimal level on a daily basis. Many people suffering from these sleep disorders and rely on sleep aids to place a band-aid on the problem. The problem with that is that there could be many uncomfortable side effects and these substances can become addictive.

Our bodies definitely need sleep and although it may vary from person to person it is best to average from six to eight hours of sleep every day. Also the release of your natural growth hormone is released during your sleep time which enables your body to stay healthier and more youthful. You will notice in yourself that if you don’t sleep well for more than a few days there is a dazed look in your eyes, your skin will look a little tired and dull and your attention to detail definitely diminishes. Your body needs the proper sleep to keep you young, healthy and sustain life.

So what can you do, maybe naturally to assist your body to calm down, relax your brain and body so that you can enjoy a healthy relaxing peaceful sleep and enable your body to replenish itself with a good sleep night after night.

Food is a very important part contributing to your health and wellbeing. It also plays a major role in enabling the body to release the correct chemicals, naturally into the body to enable good solid sleep. For one, an amino acid called tryptophan, which is found in turkey, is the precursor to melatonin and serotonin, the natural sleep hormones. You see there is some truth that turkey makes you tired as illustrated when Uncle George falls asleep on the couch after Thanksgiving Day dinner.

There are also other foods that can be eaten in the early evening that can assist your body to release the correct chemicals and set up the proper conditions for sleep.

Firstly don’t eat after 7 pm. A large meal after this hour will take time to digest and may cause heartburn or indigestion which will affect your sleep patterns. It’s best to eat small portions or snacks two or more hours before bedtime. Try eating a small piece of cheese, a couple of slices of turkey, a few tablespoons of pure yogurt containing no sugar, or a handful of sunflower seeds, all of which contain or assist your body in producing tryptophan .

Dairy products also assist your the body to induce sleep. The old saying a glass of warm milk will put you to sleep does have significant. Milk and products containing calcium help the brain to manufacture tryptophan. Also the mineral magnesium which is a natural sedative can be found in wheat bran, brewers yeast, seaweed, almonds and cashews. Other things you can do are to always have a complex carbohydrate with a small piece of protein at dinner Also avoid snacks with sugar and stimulants like coffee and soft drink after 2 pm.

So when you are sitting there on the couch trying to relax from your long busy day don’t think about your sleep disorder or think about running to the medicine cabinet for another sleep aid but instead try having a cup a Chamomile tea and a handful of cashews, even try warming the cashews for 20 seconds in the microwave. It relaxing, soothing and will help your body sleep and stay more healthy and youthful.

How To Find The Best Cure For Snoring

Many sufferers would applaud knowing the best cure for snoring, but just what exactly works and what does not? Experts have varying opinions, but there is one thing that is for certain and that is that you cannot go wrong with a natural cure for snoring.

Among the newest anti-snoring aids that offer a natural snoring remedy is the Sleep Genie, which is often recommended by doctors. During sleep, this new product has been proven to support the jaw while keeping the mouth closed.

Open mouth sleeping is one of the leading causes for snoring, which is why this revolutionary new snoring device often works during the very first use. Could this be among the best cures for snoring? Perhaps the individuals who tried this product could chime in, but they are busy enjoying a restful night’s sleep at the moment.

Other cures for snoring are found when people simply decide to sleep on their side instead of their back. Individuals who regularly sleep on their back seem to be more prone to snoring when the fatty tissue in their mouth rests in the back of their throat, which restricts air passage. If it seems impossible to sleep on their side, individuals can rest a large body pillow up against their back to prevent them from turning over through the night.

Some anti-snoring devices, such as the Sleep Genie, allow you to sleep any way that you choose. If you choose to sleep on your back, but have nasal congestion caused by allergies, there are natural cures that may provide relief.

Before going to bed, run hot water in the sink and inhale the steam. The warmth will open up the nasal passages and allow for easier breathing through the nose. In addition, ridding your home of allergens, such as dust, pet hair and cigarette smoke will also help allergy sufferers to get a better snore-free night’s sleep.

The use of air filtration systems help to remove dust and other allergens from their air and should be placed in every room throughout the house, including the bedroom.

If the sufferer has been diagnosed as being overweight or obese, this may also be a cause for snoring. A medically supervised diet and exercise program may be the answer to losing weight and the nighttime nuisance of snoring. Not only is weight loss one of the best cures for snoring, but also one of the best for overall health.

Natural Snoring Treatments

Snoring is big business. Check out the web and you will find hundreds of sites selling products designed to help you stop snoring. Unless you’ve got a real problem with sleep apnea, however, most loud sleepers can have their volume turned down or off through natural snoring treatments that don’t cost anything.

Most natural snoring treatments aren’t really treatments at all. They are lifestyle changes. There are many things that can be done to put a halt to the nighttime symphony nobody wants to hear. One of the most common causes behind snoring is being overweight.

Even if you never had a problem with snoring in your life, if you gain enough weight it can become a problem. Obviously, the answer to this kind of snoring is simply to lose weight. And it doesn’t even have to be a lot of weight, usually, especially if you have only just become a regular snorer. Very often a weight loss of as little as ten pounds can correct the problem.

For those whose snoring isn’t caused by weight gain, very often the culprit is an allergy. Again, this qualifies as one of the cheapest and easiest of the natural snoring treatments. The major problem will be determining what you are allergic to. If you’ve got a pet in the house, try keeping it outside if possible. If you think the problem is plants, try to eliminate them. But also be sure to wash your sheets and blankets regularly. And clean your heating and air conditioning vents of dust.

Perhaps the cheapest of all the natural snoring treatments is to change your sleep position. Most snoring is done when you sleep on your back. Chances are you’ll have to engage in a little help from a sleeping partner to do this one. When your snoring wakes your partner up, get him or her to nudge or roll you onto your side. More than likely that will at least temporarily—until you roll over onto your back again—provide a solution.

Many times snoring is caused by your airways drying out. Although this treatment moves into the area of spending money, for many people who’ve tried other things it often turns out to be the trick. Invest in a humidifier to keep the air inside your bedroom from getting too dry and to keep your airway passages moist.

Another helpful tip is to stay away from alcohol before bedtime as well as any medications that dry up your air passages. And unless all of these natural snoring treatments fail, you’ll probably want to say away from most of the anti-snoring devices to found on the internet. While some people may benefit from them, most people benefit from simply exercising and sleeping on their sides.

Selecting The Right Apnea Treatment

At times, it may seem difficult to choose a sleep apnea treatment that works. With so many choices, it can be tough to know which apnea treatment method works best and which does not.

An individual who has been diagnosed with sleep apnea requires a prompt apnea treatment in order to avoid the serious complications that are often associated with the disorder. Among them, heart disease, a greater likelihood of a stroke or other serious medical condition.

First and foremost on your mind when selecting an apnea treatment should be safety. Is the product or procedure safe? What type of risks or warnings are associated with its use? If you are considering the use of an anti-snoring device, this may help you to have better quality sleep but these products are not intended to be a cure for sleep apnea on their own.

For instance, the Sleep Genie is a doctor recommended anti-snoring device that may help sufferers enjoy a better quality sleep. While supporting the jaw, it helps the mouth to remain closed using a comfortable nylon lycra blend.

It is important to understand that the Sleep Genie is not intended to be a cure for sleep apnea, but rather a product that can help the sufferer to rest better throughout the night..

In addition, apnea sufferers who use the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine may benefit from the added use of the Sleep Genie, which helps to keep the mouth closed. Users of the CPAP machine need to sleep with their mouth closed in order to keep the air, provided by the machine, from escaping during sleep.

Other natural sleep apnea treatment methods include the removal of household allergens with the help of air filtration devices, sleeping on your side instead of your back, giving up cigarettes and/or alcohol and paying close attention to your diet.

Obesity is one of the leading causes of snoring, which is a direct sign of sleep apnea. Therefore, if you are overweight or have been diagnosed as being obese, it may be time to consider a medically supervised diet and exercise program as the next step in your apnea treatment search.

In addition to being a good sleep apnea treatment, losing weight will help to improve your overall health.

Sleep Apnea And Snoring

Of all the snoring related physical ailments, arguably the most severe and ironically least understood is a condition called Sleep Apnea. These two words should be emblazoned in the minds of every snorer, and anyone who lives with or cares about the safety and well being of a snorer.

The word apnea in the term sleep apnea derives from the Greek term for absence of breathing. That, in a nutshell, gives a sense of how dangerous sleep apnea can be; it literally refers to a condition where breathing stops during sleep.

There are two types of sleep apnea:

1) Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – This most common form of apnea occurs when throat muscles relax.

2) Central Sleep Apnea – This form of apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Sleep apnea and snoring are directly linked because during snoring the airway of the trachea is constantly subjected to repetitive collapse and obstruction; in fact, it is that collapse and obstruction that leads to the vibration that, ultimately, manifests itself as audible snoring. Obstructive Sleep Apnea thus occurs when, due to that continuous collapse of the airway, breathing actually stops.

Although Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs two to three times as often in older male adults, it can affect young or old, male or female. Even children can have sleep apnea, a problem more common than once thought.

Certain factors can put you more at risk of getting sleep apnea:

Obesity & excess weight (leading to an enlarged neck and excess soft tissue in the trachea)

Enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils (airway can become blocked when tonsils or adenoids are too large)

Sex and age (older men are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women are)

Drinking alcohol (sedates the throat muscles and causes them to collapse)

Cigarette smoking (which inflames the upper airway)

While death is obviously possible due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (and subsequent lack of breathing), there are many very serious effects that, while not fatal, are most certainly severe.

Even when it is not fatal, Sleep apnea deprives the body of essential oxygen; and hence, overall blood oxygen levels are reduced and concurrently, carbon dioxide levels rise. This can lead to toxic buildup that can cause heart disease, stroke, and brain damage.

Sleep Disorder – The Night Phantom

Sleep apnea is a condition when you stop breathing for a short interval repeatedly during sleep. Apnea means “Without Breath” in Greek; the word aptly describes the condition of patients suffering from sleep apnea. You may have breathing difficulty while sleeping, which may break your sleep also. Sleep apnea may cause high blood pressure, chances of stroke, impotence etc. This may seem a simple snoring disease, but it can be extremely harmful and should never be neglected.

Symptoms of sleep apnea:

These are some of the common symptoms of sleep apnea, though they may vary from person to person:

• Tendency to sleep more during the day.
• Interrupted snoring with periods of improper breathing.
• A small or recessed jaw.
• Obesity.
• A very tired feeling in the morning.
• Gasping or snoring respirations in the night.
• Unexplained right side heart or respiratory failure.
• Memory or concentration problems.
• Excessive snoring at night.

Types of apnea:

There are basically three types of apnea:

Obstructive sleep apnea: This is the most common, with 9 out of 10 cases of apnea coming under this category. It is often incorrectly called Pickwick Syndrome. Here, repetitive episodes of upper airway obstruction occur during sleep, which is generally associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. The obstruction may be excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils, or a large tongue. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages.

Central sleep apnea: This is not very common. This is related to the function of the central nervous system. The muscles that you use to breathe don’t get a clear signal from the brain, thus causing this problem. Either the brain doesn’t send the signal, or the signal gets interrupted.

Mixed apnea: This is a combination of central and obstructive apnea. The most affected people are infants or young children, who have abnormal control of breathing. Mixed apnea may occur when a child is awake or asleep.

Snoring is another symptom of sleep apnea. It is the loud, rough rattling noise that you make while sleeping, caused when the soft palate and uvula vibrates. Snoring is believed to occur in anywhere from 30% of women to over 40% of men. When snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing, it is known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Treatments:

Sleep apnea can be cured by the following methods:

• Losing weight.
• Cutting down on alcohol.
• Using Nasal Dilator strips.
• Using dental appliances to prevent tongue from falling back.
• Surgery – Tracheostomy, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, Mandibular Myotomy, Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty, Laup Radio Frequency (RF) Procedure or Somnoplasty.
• Palatoplasty – stiffening of the palate using surgery or injection.
• Using special pillows or devices to keep the airway open during sleep.
• Using a CPAP mask.
• Adjust your sleeping position, which might alleviate snoring.

Sleep Disorders – Sleep Apnea

All over the world in millions of homes, each night people are having a lousy nights sleep caused by our infamous dreaded enemy. Every night we all look forward to a peaceful night’s sleep and every night like clockwork we get a call from that dreaded enemy in the form of our partner or spouse. You no sooner start to fall asleep than your partner or spouse starts to snore. This results in sleep deprivation. Snoring can be more far-reaching than the cause of frustration and sleep disturbance. Snoring could possibly be a symptom of a more serious sleep disorder known as Sleep Apnea.

If you stop breathing for 10 or more seconds at a time and more than ten times an hour during sleep, and if you snore, you may have what has been widely diagnosed as Sleep Apnea. Many people, who are overweight fight an endless battle with restless sleep at night and find themselves nodding off during the day. If you stop breathing during sleep, your brain receives a signal telling you to wake up. The more times you wake from a deep sleep, the more restless you become. In the morning you awaken only to find that you feel like you never slept at all. If you suspect that you have Sleep Apnea, consult your health care provider who will send you to a specialist who can make the diagnosis.

Sleep Apnea is a rather serious problem as it blocks the throat and causes the sleeper to stop breathing for several seconds. As a result you awaken several times a night trying to catch your breath. Such breaks in your sleep pattern can result in significant health issues. Over time snoring could lead to other problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, and stroke and in some severe cases even death. Other symptoms of the sleep disorder Sleep Apnea include choking/gasping while sleeping, morning headaches, and tiredness during the day, personality changes, memory impairment, poor concentration, poor judgment, mood swings, recent weight gain, polyurea, and impotence. The signs to look out for are obesity, senility, stress (including anxiety and depression), hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, hypothyroidism, and acromegaly, dislocated temporomandibular joint and neuromuscular disease. Tonsillar Hypertrophy is the most common cause of Sleep Apnea in children.

The idea behind treatment of Sleep Apnea is to keep the airway open and prevent stoppages in breathing during sleep. Various methods used to alleviate Sleep Apnea include:

Behavioral Therapy, which should include avoiding alcohol and CNS depressants close to bedtime, weight reduction and sleep posture modification.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), which is an effective noninvasive medical treatment to eliminate snoring and prevent Sleep Apnea. The machine gently blows pressurized air through the nasal passage at a pressure high enough to prevent collapsing of the throat during sleep.

Oral appliances may be used to reposition the lower jaw and tongue, thus opening the throat to allow air to flow freely, while helping treat Sleep Apnea. There are various devices used to prevent the tongue from falling back over the airway.

Surgery such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
UPPP is the most common type of surgery used to treat Sleep Apnea. It removes all the redundant tissue from the pharynx.

Laser-assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a procedure which is performed by a specialist in his/her office. It involves the use of a laser to remove a part of the soft palate, shorten the Uvula (the soft tissue that hangs from the roof of your mouth at the entrance to your throat) and remove excess tissue from the Pharynx.

Tracheostomy, in which a small hole is made in the Trachea or windpipe below the point of obstruction and a small tube is inserted. This tube is only opened during sleeping hours, so that air is able to flow freely and directly into the lungs, by bypassing the blockage that occurs in the throat during sleep.

Another relatively new procedure in the treatment of the sleep disorder Sleep Apnea is radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which makes use of radiofrequency energy to remove tissue from the Uvula, soft palate and tongue thereby helping treat Sleep Apnea. The removal of enlarged Tonsils or Adenoids is the most viable option in the treatment of Sleep Apnea in children and adolescents.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Are you feeling sleepy all the time? Do you snore? Is your doctor having a difficult time treating your high blood pressure? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you might have Sleep Apnea (also called Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA).

Sleep Apnea is a condition involving pauses or decreases in breathing during sleep. It is usually due to airway collapse. This collapse occurs in the nose and/or the throat – anywhere from where air enters the nostrils to the back of the tongue. Imagine a straw collapsing when trying to suck on a thick milkshake. Frequently, this airway collapsibility problem is inherited and starts in childhood. In the daytime, it is not a problem because there is good muscle-tone in the airway and the brain monitors breathing. But at night, the throat muscles become relaxed and the brain is not as attentive to the airway. So on inhalation, the airway walls can either completely collapse or significantly narrow. This is a problem because 1) the body must struggle to breathe and 2) the brain has to “wake up” to reopen the airway.

These frequent awakenings lead to fragmentation of nighttime sleep. You may not remember them because they are so short. In fact, patients with sleep apnea can wake-up more than 30 times an hour and think that they slept uninterrupted through the night. Since sleep must be continuous and consolidated in order to be restorative, a number of cognitive problems can occur with sleep fragmentation: daytime sleepiness, memory problems, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, irritability, slowed reaction time, and most importantly, an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

There are also cardiovascular consequences of this constant “struggling to breathe.” This puts a strain on the heart and blood vessels, leading to increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

Finally, there are social implications to Sleep Apnea. The snoring associated with sleep apnea can disrupt the sleep of others. In fact, one study showed that when a person treats his/her sleep apnea, the sleep partner gets the equivalent of one hour more sleep per night.

Sleep apnea is a progressive disease and often gets worse with age. Weight gain, alcohol, and other sedating/relaxing substances exacerbate it.

Who Gets Sleep Apnea?

A common misconception is that only overweight men that snore loudly have sleep apnea, but the facts are:

1) Sleep apnea can occur without snoring
2) Thin people can have sleep apnea
3) Women can have sleep apnea
4) Children can have sleep apnea

In other words, anyone can have it. Even skinny women. Even children.

I Think I Might Have Sleep Apnea, How Do I Find Out If I Have It?

Make an appointment with your primary care physician, or if your insurance allows it, go straight to a sleep specialist. If your physician thinks you might have sleep apnea, then he/she can refer you for a sleep study or comprehensive sleep evaluation.

How Is Sleep Apnea Treated?

There are four main categories of treatment for sleep apnea: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), Surgery, Oral Appliances, and Behavioral Modification.

The most effective way to treat sleep apnea is with CPAP. CPAP is a mask worn over the nose attached by a hose to an air compressor. The air compressor gently and quietly blows room-air into the nose, which “stents” the airway open, preventing airway collapse. This is the most effective way to treat sleep apnea, and all patients diagnosed with sleep apnea should at least try it before considering other options.

Surgery can be an effective way to treat sleep apnea. A number of different procedures can be performed. These range from nasal septum repair to jaw reconstruction. Talk to your doctor about whether surgery is the right option for you.

An oral appliance is a device made by a dentist or an orthodontist designed to pull your lower jaw forward. By pulling your lower jaw forward, the tongue is pulled away from the back of the throat. If your airway obstruction is occurring behind the tongue, then this can be an effective way to treat your sleep apnea. The treatment of sleep apnea with oral appliance should be a coordinated effort between the sleep physician, the dentist/orthodontist, and the patient.

Behavioral modifications can help in the treatment of sleep apnea, but are usually the least effective. These include such techniques as weight loss, sleeping on your side, and avoiding alcohol before bedtime.

None of these treatment options is ideal, but they all can be useful in treating sleep apnea and resulting in more restful sleep. With risks like heart attack and stroke, you should do everything you can to get your sleep apnea under control. If you think you have sleep apnea, contact your doctor or go to a sleep center. It could be the best decision you ever made.

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