what is a good way to treat sleep apnea?
by Sarah Aniston
Filed under Sleep Apnea Books
see my dad has sleep apnea and hes tiered constantly and hes getting kinda sick over being unhealthy whhen he sleeps i mean im really worried cuz in the middle of the night my dad stoppes breathing for up to thirty seconds or more..
he needs to see a doctor
Losing weight is the best way to get rid of sleep apnea.
Does he have sinus problems? My husband’s sinuses were almost completely closed since he was young, he finally went to an ear,nose & throat dr and they did surgery to clear out that tissue and he sleeps better than he ever has. Before he was tired all the time and just worn out.
Also there is a machine called a c-pap machine I think, I know two people that use it at night and it helps them get good sleep.
My mother has the same thing…I would visit your doctor and ask them to put your father into a sleeping center. They monitor your fathers sleeping patterns in the middle of the night and determine what the problem is. My mother wears a mask that goes over her mouth (similar to the one ER gives you to put air into your lungs) and breathes normally. This is a serious condition and should not be treated lightly.
Also, if your father is overweight. You might want to suggest having him diet for awhile. Running, brisk walking, playing sports etc. With a healthier lifestyle he may improve his oxygen intake while sleeping at night.
Hope this helps….
Sleep on your side, instead of your back. This helps to open up the back of your throat while you sleep, reducing the chance of your airways closing and providing a more adequate amount of oxygen to your body.
He needs to see his doctor so he can be referred to a sleep disturbance doctor. They will have him sleep at the sleep lab overnight. Then he may get a Positive Air-flow Machine to use at night. This will help him breathe in a normal pattern.
No sense wasting precious time on Yahoo! Answers . Your father needs to get an appointment RIGHT AWAY ! with his family doctor .
This could very well be a heart problem !
Sleep apnea is COMMON in overweight people, but it in NO WAY is restricted to only those who are overweight—-I have been suffering with it for a few years and am not overweight…. I have been using the c-pap machine and now sleep pretty regularly—I used to wake up more then 30 times a night prior to using the c-pap… Now, I wake up only 2 -3 times a night and get a much more restful sleep… Sleep apnea is VERY DANGEROUS and can, in fact, cause DEATH if not treated so PLEASE make it a point to tell your dad just how SERIOUS this condition is—he WILL need a sleep study but it’s only an overnight visit where they attach wires to you and monitor your sleep patterns… when he is diagnosed. a c-pap machine will be ordered. SOME insurances pay the total cost of RENTING the machine…. some only pay half… (mine only pays half)…but the cost is MINIMAL compared the worth of your dad’s life!!!!
Have him take a sleep study. A doctor can assess the problem and prescribe a treatment. More than likely he will have to lose some weight and get a breathing apparatus. Good Luck. Get some help very quick as one night he could stop breathing altogether. This happened to my dad a little over a year ago. I never got to say goodbye. Don’t let this be YOU!
check out http://tipsfromruby-goodsleep.blogspot.com/ to have help sleep peacefully.
You can find out more about sleep apnea here:
http://www.improvedhealthandfitness.com/Sleep_Apnea_Articles.html
In respect to a solution/cure, you can check out this site:
http://www.improvedhealthandfitness.com/naturalsleep.html
Hope this helps…
Some of the answers above are very dangerous.
Be careful.
The answer is:
The symptoms are consistent with sleep apnea. But the only way to know is to undergo a sleep study. Sleep studies are relatively easy and are painless.
Once you have the diagnosis, only then can you discuss treatment.
There are a few proven sleep apnea treatments:
1. CPAP – continuous positive airway pressure – mask.
2. Weight loss – is recommended for all that are overweight – but is not a guarantee ! Many skinny people have severe sleep apnea.
3. Oral Appliance – made by specialized dentists – best for mild-moderate sleep apnea -not for severe.
4. Oral surgery – often works. but sometimes does not.
Next step: see primary care doc. discuss symptoms. Doc should refer for a sleep study.
Good luck.
More info at American Sleep Association
http://www.sleepassociation.org/index.php