The saying that “prevention is better than cure” is correct. There are things to do to avoid having sleep apnea. Oh! So, don’t you know that sleep apnea can be prevented? You might be wondering how possible it is for one to prevent oneself from having sleep apnea. Of course, it is possible. What are the causes of sleep apnea? The primary cause of sleep apnea is obesity, which is associated with the mouth and soft throat tissue. So, while asleep, the soft tissue can block the airways if one’s throat and tongue muscles are more relaxed. And once the airway is blocked, one may likely have sleep apnea. This is just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll get more information here on how to prevent SA. Therefore, in this write-up, we will consider things to do to avoid having sleep apnea.
However, your attention is required, and ensure you shun all distractions. But before we proceed, it would be nice to talk about what sleep apnea symptoms.
What is sleep apnea (SA)?
Sleep apnea is a life-threatening sleep disorder in which breathing is affected. With sleep apnea, the breathing stops and starts repeatedly. On the other hand, one is considered battling sleep apnea if one snores loudly during sleep. We can’t define sleep apnea (SA) without considering its types. Seemingly, there are three types of sleep apnea. They are; obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and complex sleep apnea syndrome.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax. It occurs when the muscles in the back of one’s throat relax excessively to allow normal breathing. Also, central sleep apnea occurs when one’s brain doesn’t send the proper signal to the muscles that control breathing. And once the muscles that control breathing fail to receive the appropriate signal from the brain, central sleep apnea will occur.
Hence, what is complex sleep apnea syndrome? Complex sleep apnea syndrome is otherwise known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. It occurs when one has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. In other words, it is the combination of the first-mentioned two types of sleep apnea.
Tips on how to prevent sleep apnea
- Lose weight if you’re overweight: If you want to avoid sleep apnea, try and lose weight if you’re overweight. You can do that by taking some fruits and reducing some foods that contribute to excess weight in the body. On that note, you can visit a nutritionist to help you out. The nutritionist will tell you some food you need to take and some food you need to abstain from. Knowing that being overweight can affect the flow of air in the body is reasonable.
- Do exercise regularly: Doing exercise is a perfect way to prevent sleep apnea. By doing exercise, the fat that can block the airways are burned. You can register yourself in a gym and make sure you exercise regularly. It is expedient for people with a high level of cholesterol to engage themselves in doing exercise regularly. One can also try Yoga. You need to engage in exercise that can increase your energy level. Also, some exercises strengthen one’s heart and improve SA.
- Drink alcohol moderately: You might be wondering if it could have been better for one to abstain from taking alcohol. But we have to think about those that can do without it. So, for such people, they should stop taking alcohol in the hours before bedtime. On the other hand, if they can stay or do away with alcohol, it would be better. Research shows that taking too much alcohol can cause sleep apnea.
- Quit smoking: Smokers should completely quit smoking if they don’t want to have sleep apnea. One of the easiest ways to prevent or avoid SA is to stop smoking completely. The smoke inhaled can affect the flow of air in the airways, and one’s breathing can be interrupted. Therefore, one of the crucial ways of preventing sleep apnea is to stay away from smoking.
- Don’t sleep on your back: If you like sleeping on your back, you may likely have sleep apnea. That is why some people can’t stop snoring. The sound will start five minutes after they lie on their bed. The sleeping position matters if one wants to avoid snoring. Therefore, if you want to avoid having sleep apnea, don’t sleep on your back. For clarity, you can do research on how sleeping positions can cause SA. We believe you’ll surely get some tips. Also, sleeping on your back will disrupt the normal flow of air in the airways.
- Avoid sedative medications: Taking sedative medications like anti-anxiety drugs can open the door for SA. Not only that, but one needs to stay away from using sleeping pills. If you find it so hard to sleep, we advise you to consult your doctor to examine you. He (the doctor) will be the one to tell you what to do. That is better than using sleeping pills to make you sleep. A doctor in Sydney said, and I quote, “no one can use a sleeping pill that escapes having SA.” And every other medical source also agrees with that. Therefore, you need to start informing your friends and family to stay away from taking sedative medications lest they have sleep apnea.
Closing thought
Dear reader, now, you can’t compare yourself with people that are yet to know this information. You’ve taken a step higher. One thing we want you to understand is that knowledge needs application. If one acquires knowledge and fails to implement it, the whole process is nothing but a waste of time. So, we urge you to take note of the tips listed above here and please try to work on them. In this article, we listed six tips or six things to do to prevent one from having sleep apnea. Don’t you think sharing the link to this page with family and friends would be nice? Please kindly do that!
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