Is there a natrual cure for sleep apnea?

Question

I don't smoke or drink and if I lose anymore weight the wind will blow me away. (125 lbs)

Answer 1

If you're 125 lbs, you probably will not have any cure from losing weight. You are probably part of that population that just has a floppy airway for whatever reason. Have you been formally diagnosed with sleep apnea? Because not all snoring is sleep apnea.... If you do have it, your best option is to have a sleep study and posibly get a CPAP machine -- it helps to keept the airways open while you sleep, and does not involve any drugs of any kind. It's purely mechanical. Good luck!

Answer 2

Im finding many of these answers very humorous! Ok so just to clear a few things up here......being overweight only contributes to sleep apnea. It will make it worse. In some cases someone being extremely obese may cause sleep apnea due to severe pressure on the diaphragm. Unfortunately it is the anatomy of the palate, tonsils etc that cause sleep apnea and everything else, such as weight and so on exacerbate the underlying problem. There are no home remedies and that's that. The only proven effective treatment is CPAP, BIPAP and ASV. Not even the surgeries work. So I wouldn't put yourself through that agony. People will tell you to sleep on your side, try nasal strips, lose weight and so on and so on. Those things all put together do not stop sleep apnea or the high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke and many, many more that go along with it. Don't mess around with it and get it treated before you have many other health issues to follow. Good luck

Answer 3

Sleep apnea is very closely associated with your body position when you sleep. Sleeping on your back will assure that the apnea will occur. Sleeping on your side may eliminate it, but you will need to experiment with different sleeping positions. Buy two or three oversized pillows to help you stabilize a position.

The CPAP machine is very effective for most people and adds the benefit of filtering air when you sleep.

Sleep apnea can be caused by nerve damage. If it is, there is no amount of weight lose that will cure this condition. However, if your apena is caused by excess fat, losing weight will make a big difference.

I suggest that the victim of this condition put an aerobic exercise plan into place. One doctor suggests one hour of aerobic activity five time per week. You must integrate this with your schedule and make this a high priority. (Why would your health not be your highest priority?) Even if it doesn't cure apena, it will improve your health and increase your lifespan. It helps with mental acuity also.

Read about "aerobic exercise" on the Internet. Running, swimming, racketball, stepper, fast walking, and many other exercises will allow you to raise the heart-rate to an aerobic range for an extended period of time. It is important not to go too fast because this will be into the anaerobic range.

Sleep apnea can be very damaging. Take whatever steps you can now to stop or minimize the impact of this disease. You don't need to suffer with this condition.

Answer 4

Sleep apnea is caused by a variety of factors. Some treatments are "natural" as in "not taking a drug or having surgery". The most common things to begin with are:

"Behavioral changes are an important part of the treatment program, and in mild cases behavioral therapy may be all that is needed. The individual should avoid the use of alcohol, tobacco, and sleeping pills, which make the airway more likely to collapse during sleep and prolong the apneic periods. Overweight persons can benefit from losing weight. Even a 10 percent weight loss can reduce the number of apneic events for most patients. In some patients with mild sleep apnea, breathing pauses occur only when they sleep on their backs. In such cases, using pillows and other devices that help them sleep in a side position is often helpful."

One thing this article doesn't mention is the Breathe Right nasal strip. Some people have found them effective for mild cases of apnea.
http://www.breatheright.com/products/nasal_strips.asp

Answer 5

I have it, and I'm working on it myself. Here's what I found that helped minimize it:

1. Lower your stress level. Stress is a large part of the cause. Whenever I'm free of stress, I don't have sleep apnea at all. When I'm very stressed out, it gets worse. So, engage in stress reducing activities like exercise or any violent type exercise that gets the stress out (boxing, martial arts, etc)

2. Sleep consistent hours and on the same time. Inconsistent sleeping patterns will make your sleep apnea worse.

3. Sleep on your side. It helps a little bit, but not a lot. Don't sleep on your back or on your belly.

4. Avoid salty foods or dairy foods. You want a fine balance of moisture in your mouth and throat. Salty foods will decrease moisture, dairy foods increase mucous production.

5. I get chiropractic care to increase nerve innervation to my tongue and soft palate. Whenever I get adjusted, my sleep apnea goes away. But it will take some time to remodel your spine to properly support the base of your neck.

Out of all the things I've tried, chiropractic and stress reduction helped me out the most. My sleep apnea is half as it was before. My wife doesn't stab me in the ribs as often.

Answer 6

Losing weight may help. However, sleep apnea is a serious problem. When you have sleep apnea you quit breathing. It can cause serious problems such as heart disease. You should be treated with a CPAP machine. If weight is the reason you have this problem, after you lose the weight you might be able to discontinue the treatment.

Answer 7

All I ever hear is 'lose weight'.

I decided to sleep in the guest bedroom. Didn't cure the apnea but at least I don't have to hear the complaining about it.

Answer 8

None has been found so far. And for all those ignorant people - losing weight may reduce the severity of symptoms but it will *NOT* cure the condition. You're being insensitive to people who suffer from this condition by calling them fat.

Answer 9

Being overweight, a smoker or drinking heavily can all contribute to sleep apneoa. A friend of mine had horrendous problems and attended a sleep clinic but his partner tells me that since giving up smoking he is much improved.

Answer 10

The only thing that works for me is 50mg of Diphenyhydramine HCI in gelcap form.
It's a decongestant night time sleep aid. I love it.

Tried prescribed drugs, they didn't work or had side effects. This doesn't and I sleep soundly. Comes in liquid gelcap form, take about 20 minutes before bedtime.

Mine is Wal-Mart Equate Brand so it's economically priced and is the same thing as Maximum Strength Unisom SleepGels.