Want To Sleep With Your Spouse Again? Stop Snoring
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The topic of snoring is often met with laughs. But usually not from the bedmate of the snorer. The truth of the matter is that it can actually be a sign of a much more serious health issue known as sleep apnea. Of course, not all snoring is the same. There are different types of snoring, and not all who snore suffer from sleep apnea.
If youve tried lifestyle changes such as losing weight and quitting or reducing smoking and alcohol consumption in addition to changing your sleeping position ” all without results, then you may want to consult with a physician to rule out sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which you literally stop breathing several times throughout the night while sleeping. In some cases, the duration of an interruption is over a minute and the interruptions can occur as many as hundreds of times during any given night.
It’s important that you consult with your doctor if you suspect that your snoring is more than a modest annoyance as sleep apnea can be fatal. If you do indeed suffer from sleep apnea, you should also feel that your sleep is far less productive and you’ll feel tired throughout the day.
The good news for those who experience sleep apnea is that there are many treatments that are on hand that do not include surgery. Chances are that your physician will want to try the less invasive methods before resorting to surgical procedures that may or may not be necessary in order to properly treat your case of sleep apnea.
The first step your doctor is likely to take is to identify the specific apnea that plagues your sleep. There are three different types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. Obstructive is the one you will hear the most about, since its the most common one.
Behavioral changes such as diet and exercise, medications such as nasal sprays with steroids, thyroid replacement therapy medications, and weigh loss medications, dental appliances and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, which are devices that deliver constant air pressure through a facemask in order to keep the airways open are all common treatments for obstructive sleep apnea. Your doctor and you will work out a treatment plan once your particular apnea is discovered, that will correct or minimize your apnea.
When used alone or in conjunction with other treatment options, these devices and treatment options while not one size fits all, can be highly effective. For those with sleep apnea, physical fitness tends to be a big problem.
The worst thing you can do for sleep apnea is to do nothing. The cycle is brutal with the result of the apnea being a lack of energy that would be needed in order to burn off the required calories to achieve weight loss. If you’re overweight and suffering from sleep apnea, consult with your doctor. She or he may be able to prescribe medication for weight loss that will assist with both.