Find Safe Alternative Treatments for Sleep Apnea

Find Safe Alternative Treatments for Sleep Apnea
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Causes

There are two types of sleep apnea. The more common type is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is caused by the airway becoming obstructed as the throat relaxes while sleeping. Breathing can stop from 10 seconds to a couple of minutes before the person gasps for air. The person wakes up slightly when it happens, without realizing it. This can happen hundreds of times during the night. Alternative treatments for sleep apnea are normally helpful for this type. Central sleep apnea is the other type and is rare. The brain fails to instruct the muscles to breathe. Click on image to enlarge.

The major causes of sleep apnea are being overweight or obese. Extra fat in the throat can cause the airway passages to collapse.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may possibly cause sleep apnea. Chronic cases of stomach acid seeping into the esophagus can damage and scar tissue in the throat, causing obstruction.

Asthma can also be a culprit by causing the airways to spasm (this increases the risk of the airways to collapse) or by obstructing the airways from congestion or inflammation.

Other causes of sleep apnea include:

  • inflamed tonsils (most common in children)
  • smoking (increases the chance of airway spasms)
  • alcohol (relaxes throat muscles)
  • abnormally small airways
  • large neck (16 inches or more in women and 17 inches or more in men)
  • decreased serotonin levels

Sleep apnea occurs more in people over the age of 40 but can occur at any age. Men are more at risk.

Symptoms

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

  • loud snoring (gasping for breath)
  • restless sleep
  • waking up with a dry and/or sore throat
  • morning headache
  • sleepiness during the day
  • trouble concentrating

Irritability, memory loss, weight gain, low libido, anxiety, and depression are other symptoms of sleep apnea.

Alternative Treatments

Weight loss and exercise are effective treatments for those who are overweight. Losing even a small amount of weight may make a big difference.

Don’t sleep on your back. This allows the tongue to fall back and obstruct the airway. You can sew a tennis ball on the back of pajama tops to make sleeping on the back uncomfortable.

5-HTP, a serotonin precursor, can help control muscles needed for breathing, promoting a more sound sleep in people with sleep apnea.

Vervain, a herbal remedy, may help some people with sleep apnea. According to Eve Campanelli, Ph.D., a holistic family practitioner, “Vervain is a very calming essence that is indicated for people with strong feelings about everything. This personality type seems to be associated with sleep apnea, and when these people use vervain, it seems to help them solve problems in all areas of their lives, including sleeping problems.”

Other alternative treatments for sleep apnea include:

  • stop smoking
  • don’t drink alcohol
  • avoid sleeping pills
  • use a humidifier for very dry air when sleeping

Sleep apnea is a serious disorder and, if left untreated, it can lead to health problems including high blood pressure, heart problems, and stroke.

Photo Credit

Image courtesy of the National Library of Medicine (NLM)

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