View Source for sleep apnea, there are other options that people with sleep apnea can discuss with their doctor. Potential alternatives to CPAP therapy include other positive airway pressure (PAP) machines, lifestyle changes, devices, and surgery.
Positional Therapy
Reviewing sleeping positions and posture can help relieve narrow airways during sleep. Positional therapies, such as 'Side Sleeping' or adjusting pillows to a 60-degree head-raised angle, can all help to improve milder apnea cases.
It can lead to a variety of health issues and drastically reduce life expectancy if not managed properly. Studies show that patients who develop sleep apnea before the age of fifty have a life expectancy between 8 and 18 years.
While there is no cure for sleep apnea, studies show that certain lifestyle factors can reverse or make your sleep apnea less intense. Other treatment or surgical options can also reverse the condition. Sleep apnea happens when your upper airway muscles relax while you sleep.
Research has found that sleep apnea oral appliances can provide the following benefits. View Source for people with obstructive sleep apnea: Reduce the number of pauses in breathing (apneas) or episodes of shallow breathing (hypopneas) Significantly improve blood oxygen levels.
Inspire Surgery (Upper Airway Stimulation)
It involves a small implantable pacemaker-like device which stabilizes the throat while sleeping by providing gentle stimulation to throat muscles and allowing the airway to remain open during sleep.
In some cases, sleep apnea can resolve if you return to a healthy weight, but it can recur if you regain the weight. Exercise. Regular exercise can help ease the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea even without weight loss. Try to get 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as a brisk walk, most days of the week.
The goal of each breathing exercise for sleep apnea is to clear, open, and strengthen your airway muscles. Mouth and throat exercises: These work the throat, tongue, soft palate, and jaw, and are widely regarded as the most effective type of sleep apnea exercises.
There is no real cure for sleep apnea, although surgical treatment in children (whose bodies are still growing) often delivers positive results. Because adults live with permanent airway anatomy, the changes caused by sleep apnea require other therapies and interventions.
As long as you have sleep apnea, you will continue to need to use CPAP therapy. That being said, you can discontinue the use of your CPAP machine if your sleep apnea becomes cured or enters remission.
Throat Exercises for Sleep Apnea
Myofunctional therapy exercises for sleep apnea, otherwise known as oropharyngeal exercise, targets the soft tissue of the face, neck, and mouth. This helps to improve your tongue position and your oral rest posture.
Although more studies are required, honey has shown promising results in reducing sleep apnea. It contains inflammatory properties that may reduce any swelling blocking the airways. Also, honey is a natural lubricant that will relax your throat area, allowing smoother airflow.
Obstructive sleep apnea is classified by severity: Severe obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is greater than 30 (more than 30 episodes per hour) Moderate obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 15 and 30. Mild obstructive sleep apnea means that your AHI is between 5 and 15.
Snoring is often associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Not all snorers have OSA, but if snoring is accompanied by any of the following symptoms, it may be an indication to see a doctor for further evaluation for OSA: Witnessed breathing pauses during sleep. Excessive daytime sleepiness.
Burgers, steak, pork, bacon, lamb, and sausage are all meats that are high in saturated fats. Eating too much of these items can cause inflammation throughout your body, which can lead to cardiovascular problems. This is a big risk factor if you have sleep apnea, so it's best to avoid consuming these products.
Sleep apnea without treatment does not directly shorten life expectancy. However, it does increase the likelihood that patients will develop life-threatening health conditions that result in shortened life expectancy.
Through diet or weight loss surgery, the patients lost nearly 10 percent of their body weight, on average, over six months. Overall, the participants' sleep apnea scores improved by 31 percent after the weight loss intervention, as measured by a sleep study.
People who have sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night.
The more severe the obstructive sleep apnea, the greater the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. Obstructive sleep apnea increases the risk of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), which can lower blood pressure.
Although uncommon, it is possible to die during sleep from untreated obstructive sleep apnea. Observational research has found that OSA increases a person's risk of sudden death. This risk is believed to be higher in people of older age, in people with a critical illness, and in people with severe OSA.
Q: Can weight loss cure sleep apnea? A: The short answer is no. While there are several sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no cure. However, weight loss may help reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people, but only if you have obstructive sleep apnea.