Welcome to my site, my name is Jess Indaja. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after struggling with my weight throughout my teen years and adulthood. My doctor informed me about all of the dangers associated with my diet and exercise habits. I was encouraged to change the way I ate and moved in an effort to reverse my blood sugar problem. I made the changes, but still struggle with controlling my blood sugar. After going through this trying situation, I decided to make a site that may help others with problems associated with type 2 diabetes. I will discuss diagnostic procedures, treatments and medical research concerning this disease. I hope you visit often and learn all you can to control your type 2 diabetes or help others with this condition.
If you snore or wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air, then you may have obstructive sleep apnea. If severe, sleep apnea may raise your risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack. While not all people who snore have sleep apnea, there is no way to tell until you visit a sleep lab and undergo a sleep study. Depending upon the results of your sleep study, treatment can range from simple, home remedies to sleep apnea surgery. Here are three simple strategies to end snoring, while reducing your risk for sleep apnea.
Side Sleeping
One of the simplest strategies to manage snoring and sleep apnea is sleeping on your side. When you sleep on your back, the back of your tongue can slip into your throat, blocking your airway. Side sleeping will keep your tongue in your mouth so that you can breathe easier and stop snoring. Sleeping on your back can also cause your neck to compress your trachea. While this is less common in people of normal weight or those who are underweight, people who carry excess weight around their necks are especially at risk.
Managing Acid Reflux
Acid reflux disease can also make snoring worse. When irritating stomach acid rises into your throat, it can irritate your pharynx and tonsils. This can lead to inflammation in the back of your throat, which heightens the risk for snoring and subsequent sleep apnea. If you have acid reflux disease, avoid trigger foods before bedtime.
These include chocolate, citrus fruit, coffee, onions, and peppermint. If you develop acid reflux or heartburn despite avoiding offending trigger foods, try taking an over-the-counter antacid tablet before bedtime. It will neutralize stomach acid so it will be less irritating to your throat tissues should it make contact with your pharyngeal area or tonsils.
Limiting Alcohol
Limiting or foregoing your consumption of alcoholic beverages before bedtime will also help decrease snoring episodes. It will also help diminish the frequency and severity of apnea episodes. Alcohol may help you relax and get sleepy, however, it can cause fitful sleep and frequent awakening during the night. It also relaxes the muscles of the back of your tongue so that it is more likely to obstruct your airway. This could cause multiple episodes of breathing cessation during sleep and may heighten your risk for daytime sleepiness.
If the above conservative methods fail to improve your snoring episodes, make an appointment with a physician who specializes in sleep medicine. He or she will explain how snoring surgery can help you sleep better while lowering your risk for apnea-related health problems.
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