Many people may relate sleep apnea to snoring, which may seem right. But they should take note that there is a difference between sleep apnea and snoring. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder which causes a person to have shallow breathing patterns or pauses in breathing. Snoring on the other hand is a vibration of the respiratory system that results to sounds because of blocked air movement. Snoring is a result of sleep apnea most of the time because of an obstructed air passageway. Some snores are soft, while some are loud and unpleasant. The respiratory structures that are commonly involved are the uvula and soft palate and this is caused because of any of the following: mispositioned jaw, fat gathering around one's throat, throat weakness that causes it to close during sleep, and obstruction of airway.
The difference between sleep apnea and snoring is that the former is a cause while the latter may be its result. sleep apnea is a serious medical condition that needs to be treated right away as it has significant effects in the body. An individual who suffers from sleep apnea will stop breathing for a few seconds, which could happen for up to 50 times a night! This will cause the person to get easily tired and sleepy during daytime because these breathing pauses briefly wakes him up in the middle of the night in order to resume breathing.
Snoring on the other hand is also a sleep disorder resulting from congestion or blockage of the airways. Sleep apnea may cause snoring, but other factors such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids may also cause this disorder.
Most people will not be aware if they are snoring or have sleep apnea since this only occurs while he is asleep. A bed partner may notice this in him. If the individual is snoring, this does not mean that he has sleep apnea because snoring may be the result of many other things such as enlarged tonsils. If a doctor diagnoses that a person has sleep apnea, he may recommend treatment right away because this may cause more serious diseases in the future.
If you want to treat your sleep apnea or snoring by natural means, you may find that there are actually simple remedies to have an apnea and snore-free bedtime. First and foremost, leading a healthy lifestyle can help you treat sleep apnea. Have a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine. This also helps reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke. If you snore a lot, changing some lifestyle habits may help you lessen it.
When your sleeping partner makes you aware about your snoring, tell him to change your sleep position every time. Snoring occurs first when you are lying on your back. Because of this position, your tongue falls back, which may increase air passageway resistance. If you regularly snore, sleep on your side. You may also lose body weight to help you stop snoring during the night. Obese or simply overweight individuals have a bulky tissue in the neck and this increases the chance of snoring. Losing even just a modest amount of weight can help you prevent yourself from snoring.
You may also avoid sedatives and alcohol because anything that may cause sedation such as small amounts of alcohol and sleeping pills may increase airway resistance. These may suppress your breathing, thus, causing you to snore.
There are more alternative treatments to sleep apnea and snoring. Consult your sleep therapist about which method is best. If home remedies don't work for you, have your sleeping habits examined again. This will help you a lot in the long run.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 