It is always alarming when we find out that there might be a medical issue we have that we are completely unaware of. This is the case with sleep apnea – it happens while you sleep and you might be completely unaware of it, especially if you sleep alone in a room. However, it can be dangerous for your health, so let’s take a look at what it is and what are some remedies that can help:

What is Sleep Apnea?

It’s a condition that means you stop breathing for periods of time while you’re sleeping. After a while, your body realizes what is happening and you gasp for air. In mild cases, this can just sound like snoring because you’re taking in a lot of air at once, but in severe cases, it can lead to serious damage. Depending on how long you don’t take in oxygen, it can affect your brain and cause memory loss, increase the chances of heart issues, and trigger various mental health issues. Most people find out about sleep apnea when someone who sleeps next to them notices it, or if their doctors suggest that might be an issue when they start showing symptoms. So, what can you do about it?

Weight Control

Obesity, especially in the upper body, is one of the leading causes of sleep apnea. The excess weight presses onto the chest and the airways, obstructing the airflow and making you stop breathing. This is perhaps one of the best solutions because if you have sleep apnea due to excess weight, it means that your weight is high enough that it is probably affecting other parts of your system as well, so losing some weight will be beneficial for your overall health, not just fixing the issue of sleep apnea. You should consult with a nutritionist or a GP to see how you can best manage your weight, and if you add in some light cardio exercise like fast walking, you will be doing heaps to help your respiratory system.

Medical aids

Sometimes we can’t just make the problem go away, and we have to make sure we’re doing what we can to minimize the effects. As one option, the experts at UpliftingMobility.com recommend a sleep apnea mouth guard as a first step. It is a small mouthpiece that you put on while you sleep and it keeps your mouth open and your tongue out of the way to allow the flow of air. If you have more severe symptoms than just snoring, you might want to look at CPAP machines which are far more complex and basically breathe for you when your own breathing gives out. These need to be recommended by a doctor and are only used in severe cases.

Sleep Positions

On a lighter note, a solution might just be to change the way you sleep. Sleeping on your back is the worst option for most people because it causes the most snoring and can worsen sleep apnea. So trying different sleeping positions, like on your side or slightly upright might help relieve symptoms. If you tend to roll around and change positions, you can prop yourself up with pillows to keep your body in a sideways position.

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Avoid Dry Air

Dry air makes it harder to breathe. It irritates the body and shrinks the airways, so you want to make sure that the air in the room you’re sleeping in stays humid. You can use a humidifier to achieve this, or simply place a bowl of water next to the bed and let the heat do its thing.

Live a Healthy Life

Is this a tip that appears in every single health article? Yes. But it’s important to bring up because we often don’t realize how seemingly everyday actions that we pay no mind to – like drinking alcohol or smoking – affects every part of our lives. You know that smoking damages the lungs, so quitting that will open up your airways and allow you to breathe normally during the night. In addition to that, regular physical activity like cardio will fill your blood with oxygen, in a way counteracting the effects of sleep apnea.

You might think that not breathing for periods of the night is extremely scary. On one hand, it is, and if left untreated, it can lead to serious issues. But on the other hand, most people’s only symptom is snoring and it can easily be rectified by employing some tactics mentioned above. As always, if you think you are experiencing health issues, talk to your doctor to consult on the best options