Just thinking about it makes me kind of gasp for air.

Sleep Apnea is more common in men and can be mild to severe.

The two main types of sleep apnea include:

• Obstructive: when the throat muscles relax and
• Central Sleep Apnea is when the brain doesn’t send the right signals to breathe.

Complications can include heart problems, stoke, liver problems, daytime fatigue and high blood pressure, not to mention cranky partners who are kept up all night by snoring and other noises. Surprisingly (or maybe not for you reading this health-conscious blog) the best care you can get is SELF CARE! You can actually begin by making changes to your lifestyle habits and eliminate Sleep Apnea.

Here are a few good ways to up the SELF CARE and eliminate SLEEP APNEA:

1. Lose weight
2. Exercise
3. Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills
4. Sleep on your side
5. Keep your nasal passages open at night. (I used to use the band-aid type thing across the top of my nose)
6. Stop smoking
7. Eliminate foods that you may be allergic to like wheat and dairy

I used to have sleep apnea before I changed my dietary habits. I had a lot of food allergies that I was unaware of and my sinuses were a mess. I used the band-aid across the nose and it would open my air passages while I slept to give me some relief. That is just a temporary solution. I no longer have sleep apnea at all because I eat healthy foods and my sinus problems are gone as well. Food makes all the difference in the world!

What can a doctor do for you?

Oxygen that is delivered to your lungs through a device can help.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

You wear a pressurized mask over your nose while you sleep. There is a little pump that pushes the air through your airway and that keeps the airway from collapsing. You must follow your doctor’s directions when you use a CPAP. This is used for obstructive sleep apnea.

Bi-level positive airway pressure (BPAP).

BPAP builds to a higher pressure when you inhale and then adjusts to a lower pressure when you exhale. This is used for central sleep apnea.

Adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV).

This is a newer device that learns your regular breathing pattern and keeps that info in a little computer. It uses pressure to normalize your breathing pattern and prevent pauses in your breathing. This is best used for central sleep apnea.

There are also surgeries and implants. These are more drastic treatments that should be considered carefully after you have made all the lifestyle changes suggested above.

Just another way a health coach and healthy lifestyle changes can change your quality of life!