# Treatment overview: Sleep Apnea



## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

I know one of our members, Cowboy, has Sleep Apnea, and there may be other members who struggle with it too. When I saw this article, I knew I wanted to share it, just in case there's a snippet of info that helps someone!http://health.yahoo.com/topic/sleep/treatm...lthwise/hw49327Here's a brief excerpt from the article - this advice alone might be helpful:


> *Initial treatment*The first treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) consists of making lifestyle changes. These include:- Losing weight (if needed). Small studies have indicated that losing weight reduces the number of times per hour you stop breathing (apnea) or breathe very slowly (hypopnea). Experts agree that weight loss should be a component of managing sleep apnea. - Going to bed at the same time every night. - Sleeping on your side. Try sewing a pocket in the middle of the back of your pajama top, putting a tennis ball into the pocket, and stitching it shut. This will help keep you from sleeping on your back. Sleeping on your side may eliminate mild sleep apnea. - Avoiding the use of alcohol and some medicines, especially sleeping pills and sedatives, before bed. - Quitting smoking. The nicotine in tobacco relaxes the muscles that keep the airways open. If you don't smoke, those muscles are less likely to collapse at night and narrow the airways. - Raising the head of your bed 4 in. (10 cm) to 6 in. (15 cm) by putting bricks under the legs of the bed. Using pillows to raise your head and upper body will not work. - Promptly treating breathing problems, such as a stuffy nose caused by a cold or allergies. All people who have sleep apnea should make these lifestyle changes. They may be all that is needed to relieve mild sleep apnea.Some people use nasal strips, which widen the nostrils and improve air flow. Although these strips may decrease snoring, they cannot treat sleep apnea.


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