Is There Self-Treatment for Sleep Apnea?
Someone with sleep apnea can experience frequent breathing pauses while they sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form and is caused by a blockage of the upper airways. This often results in a drop in oxygen levels that causes you to wake up frequently for air.
While PAP therapy is considered the gold standard for treating moderate to severe sleep apnea, self-treatment for sleep apnea may also help reduce symptoms. At-home treatment for sleep apnea alone may be enough to address mild obstructive sleep apnea.
It is essential to work with your health provider to form a treatment plan appropriate for the severity of your sleep apnea. Without treatment, sleep apnea increases your risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Here are seven types of self-treatment for sleep apnea your healthcare provider may recommend.
- Weight Loss
Excess body weight is a contributing risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. When you sleep, the excess fat around the neck and tongue relaxes and can collapse and obstruct the airways.
Even moderate weight loss has been shown to help reduce sleep apnea symptoms. Your healthcare provider will recommend a more balanced diet including reduced levels of processed foods, and at least 30 minutes of exercise each day to help maintain a healthy weight.
- Regular Exercise
The benefits of daily exercise extend beyond helping maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise is recommended as an at-home treatment for sleep apnea as it may still improve sleep apnea symptoms for people who do not lose weight.
Regular exercise boosts energy levels and improves sleep apnea by reducing the amount of breathing pauses. This in turn helps reduce the levels of fatigue experienced during the day caused by frequently waking for air throughout the night.
You can consult your healthcare provider about the most suitable exercise. Higher-intensity exercise is not for everyone, but walking daily could still reduce your risk of sleep apnea. Yoga is viewed as another beneficial self-treatment for sleep apnea as its breathing exercises can improve oxygen levels.
- Lifestyle Factors
One of the first areas your healthcare provider will address when diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea will be certain lifestyle factors. Diet and exercise, as well as whether you smoke and how much you drink, will be considered.
If you do smoke, you will be recommended to quit, as smoking can inflame the tissues in the airways. Swelling resulting from inflamed tissues may worsen sleep apnea symptoms.
You will also be asked to reduce your alcohol consumption. While alcohol can also result in inflammation in the airways, it relaxes your throat muscles too. Relaxed muscles are more likely to collapse and cause an obstruction of the airways.
Such an obstruction increases the risk of snoring, as well as the frequency and length of the breathing pauses that cause obstructive sleep apnea.
- Medication
Your healthcare provider must monitor the effects any other existing medication you take could have on your sleep apnea symptoms. Some medications including anti-depressants can worsen sleep apnea symptoms due to the effects of sedation.
On the flip side, some medications like those for allergies could aid sleep apnea treatment by reducing congestion and keeping the airways clearer for breathing.
It is crucial to discuss any medications you are taking or are considering taking with your healthcare provider.
- Sleep Positions
One simple approach to self-treatment for sleep apnea may be to consider your sleeping positions. Over 50% of people report their sleep apnea symptoms are worse when sleeping on their back. This could be because the tongue falls back to block the airways.
Positional therapy as a form of at-home treatment for sleep apnea works by moving you to a side sleeper. If you tend to sleep on your back, this adjustment can take a little time to get used to.
Positioning pillows around the body to prevent you from shifting onto your back is one method that may help. Another popular trick is to sew a tennis ball into the back of the garment you wear in bed.
If you find that you keep reverting to sleeping on your back, you could look at using pillows to prop yourself up at an angle of around 60 degrees. Lifting the head off the bed at this angle can help keep the airways clear of obstruction.
- Oral Appliances
Oral appliances provide another self-treatment for sleep apnea. They are worn overnight and work by positioning the jaw or tongue forward to keep the airways free from obstruction.
Lower-cost oral appliances can be bought over the counter at local stores. However, a custom-made appliance from your dentist offers a more precise fit.
An oral appliance may be recommended for someone who finds it difficult to tolerate PAP therapy. However, you should always consult your healthcare provider on whether such an appliance is suitable for treating your sleep apnea.
- Use a Heated Humidifier
Just as a humidifier can aid comfort when using CPAP , a heated humidifier in the bedroom can also be a source of self-treatment for sleep apnea. A heated humidifier adds moisture to the air you breathe in as you sleep, reducing the risk of irritation in the airways caused by dry air.
A heated humidifier can also reduce nasal congestion. This further helps reduce sleep apnea symptoms by keeping the airways more open for breathing.
Ensure you clean a humidifier regularly as guided by the manufacturer’s instructions. This prevents a build-up of bacteria and mold that could cause an infection.
Without treatment, sleep apnea increases the risk of serious health conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure. Therefore, you should always consult your health provider on the most appropriate treatment for the severity of your symptoms, including at-home treatment for sleep apnea.
