Can Alternative Medicine Treat or Cure Sleep Apnea?

Most alternative medical practices are not harmful, provided they are not used as a substitute for good primary medical care. They may be helpful in promoting better health. At worst, they may be needlessly costly.

If you feel compelled to try alternative methods, at least be scientific about it. Discuss your ideas with your doctor, perform a controlled experiment yourself, and then be prepared to return to the sleep lab to find out whether there has been a measurable improvement in your sleep apnea.

Two Very Bad Decisions

One of the worst decisions you could make would be to stop using the treatment your sleep specialist prescribed while you try some new alternative. If you want to experiment with unconventional treatments (provided they are not harmful), at least continue to use your CPAP at the same time. If you stop using CPAP, your sleep apnea is guaranteed to return, and it will become worse over time.

The second bad decision would be to use an alternative practitioner as your primary or only doctor. Most alternative practitioners have limited medical training. They may fail to diagnose a serious disease (dia-betes, cancer, heart condition) that could be fatal if it is not properly treated. If you must experiment with alternatives, do so in addition to good, regular, conventional medical care.

But Maybe This Really Is the Cure!

It's true - the cure for sleep apnea may indeed exist in some obscure alternative medical treatment. Many scientific discoveries originate outside the conventional establishment. The medical establishment is very slow to accept new ideas. Unconventional treatments are viewed with skepticism bordering on suspicion, and their proponents are often ostracized by the medical community.

Sleep disorders medicine itself is a perfect example of how long it takes to integrate a new concept into mainstream medicine. Sleep disorder research has been going on for more than 40 years, but sleep disorders medicine is only now beginning to be taught in medical schools. Yet this very skepticism is what guards the public from the quacks. New medicine has to prove itself through scientific method and peer review in the medical journals. This process prevents abuse and exploitation of the public by incompetent scientists, unscrupulous industries, and personal greed.

The system is not perfect. Some bad science is reported in the medical journals. Some good treatments take longer than they should to reach the patient. Progress seems slow, but continual advances are being made, and examples of what can happen when the review process breaks down (e.g., thalidomide) show us the value of deliberate skepticism and medical conservatism.

If a sure cure for sleep apnea exists today, the medical community hasn't heard about it, much less had a chance to test it scientifically.

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Natural Remedies For Truck Drivers With Sleep Apnea And Other Sleep Disorders

Commercial Truck Drivers have a higher risk of sleep disorders than the general public due to their irregular work schedules and inability to get quality sleep. Sleeping in a truck hardly offers the same level of comfort that they would get in their own beds. Plus there is often the noise and distractions of sleeping at truckstops. Those drivers that aren't fortunate enough to get a parking space at truckstops to sleep often must park their truck anywhere they can. When this happens, they don't necessarily feel safe which interferes with the quality of sleep they receive.

Commercial truck drivers should be well rested and alert after sleeping but this is often not the case. The quality of sleep truck drivers get in their trucks is poor. Sleep apnea, insomnia and other sleep disorders can drastically affect truck drivers driving abilities when they are behind the wheel. This can increase their risk of being involved in accidents.

Getting good quality sleep and a sufficient level of sleep is a major factor in promoting weight loss, lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease and other health problems. It can also help with depression and increase longevity. Good quality sleep is vital to maintaining good health. Our immune system repairs damage to the body during the deepest stages of the sleep cycle. However, when ones sleep is disrupted the process of repairing the body can be hampered.

One alternative to treating sleep apnea naturally without the use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine or surgery is to use a safe and natural compound called 5-Hydroxytrptophan (5-HTP). 5-HTP is a serotonin precursor and many victims of sleep apnea are deficient in serotonin.

When one doesn't get sufficient sleep, the amount of cortisol increases which then decreases the amount of L-Tryptophan that gets to the brain. L-Tryptophan is an amino acid which is required for the brain to produce serotonin. 5-HTP can be used to raise serotonin levels in the body. It is recommended to start with 50 mg and increase the amount if needed. 5-HTP is easily available at supermarkets, pharmacies and online retailers. Those who choose to supplement with 5-HTP should do so under the advisement of their medical practitioner because there can be side effects.

Valerian root is a popular perennial herb available in supplement form used to treat insomnia and other sleep problems. Chronic insomnia accelerates the aging process throughout the entire body. Valerian root also helps treat anxiety and depression among other ailments. Valerian root contains a variety of active compounds in it one of which is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is a chemical in the brain that produces a naturally calming effect in the body.

To help insure good quality sleep, one should avoid consuming coffee and other caffeinated beverages near bedtime. Also, make sure the bedding is comfortable. Listening to soft music often helps many people get in a calm relaxed state. Getting a good quality sleep on a regular basis is one of the best strategies for preventing disease and reversing disease processes.

Go to Truckingsos.com to read more articles about trucking and truck drivers such as natural remedies and sleep apnea.

Annalee Chambers is an author and trucking industry veteran.
http://truckingsos.com/

(c)copyright- Annalee Chambers All Rights Reserved Worldwide

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Effectively Treat Your Sleep Apnea Positively

Treating sleep apnea doesn't have to be a burden. There are many different sleep machines available on the market today with masks tailored to all kinds of sleeping problems. Mouth breathers usually have sinus issues too, so full head and face masks are used in this instance for sleep apnea treatment.

For those with a sleep disorder that causes them to stop breathing through their nose, a couple of types of masks are offered. The "face" mask covers the nose only, and applies the necessary air way pressure through the sinuses to keep the air way open at night. The "nasal" mask has two paps that fit into the nose and is a little less cumbersome than the "face" mask but if you're the type of person that would constantly rub your nose in your sleep because of the tickling sensation, this might not be the right sleep help for you.

These sleep aids also come in all different sizes and comfort zones. Some even come with a forehead snap on feature that puts the hose up and out of the way at night so you don't have to roll over and readjust to the movements needed to make to get comfortable again. Masks are made from the very petite to the grandiose large, obviously, because not all people are the same size or two sizes, nor are all facial features accommodating to one type of mask.

When you spend your first night in the sleep center to diagnose your sleep problems, they will have a couple different masks to try on. Otherwise your sleep disorders doctor will show and tell some models for you when you initially go in to get your sleep aids and get started on your sleep apnea treatment plan.

In the course of treating your sleep problem, you and your sleep disorder specialist should discover that a sleep apnea mask and machine isn't working effectively for you, think positive. There are a few FDA approved drug treatments for sleep apnea, but sleep disorder doctors don't like to go this route because it often increases sleepiness.

Other approaches are to use a BPAP machine rather than the CPAP machine which is more commonly prescribed. Newer treatments are being created all the time, and if your sleep disorder is not finding relief in anything else, certain types of surgery can be performed that alter the jaw and thus open the air way openings to breathe better. These surgeries are reserved for the more extreme cases however, so they are not done that frequently.

There are no sleep apnea cures, but with proper treatment you can have a more restful and restorative sleep.

Diane Kean joined the Hearing Care Center at Southwestern Ear, Nose & Throat (SWENT) in October 2009. Prior to working at SWENT, she managed an orthopaedic surgery practice, worked as a human resource professional at Los Alamos National Laboratory and for Pillsbury, and managed several departments for Bloomingdale's at Mall of America in Minnesota. SWENT also has a sleep center.

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Ways That Could Help In Treating Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a respiratory disorder where one has unusual breathing when sleeping. The breathing is usually characterized as having pauses or is slower than usual.

The main way of treating this disorder is using the CPAP therapy. CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. As the name suggests, there is a continuous passage of air so that the breathing is stabilized and remain constant throughout. This is the one of the most common ways of treating sleep apnea. However, there are other methods can help reduce or eliminate sleep apnea. Get this right: these methods are not to be used as substitutes to the CPAP therapy. They actually complement it.

The methods are as follows:
- For the people who are overweight, losing weight will help in reducing and eliminating the apnea. However, if your disorder is delicate, then you should consider other ways. If your apnea is not a delicate one, you should consult with your doctor to find out some of the weight loss programs you can enroll in. Loss of weight helps in changing the airway's shape. When this happens, it is highly unlikely that the airway will collapse.

- Stay away from alcohol before sleeping. It is known that alcohol has a way of relaxing the muscles that are found in the airway. This is what causes snoring and breathing problems when sleeping. The best solution for this would be to avoid alcohol before going to sleep.

- Avoid sleeping on your back or on your stomach. It has been found out that people who are sleep on their side have snore less compared to people who sleep on their backs. When you sleep on your back, there are greater chances of your airway collapsing. This is because of the impact of gravity on your tongue and jaw.

- The head of the bed should be in an elevated position. Sleeping in a position where your head is slightly elevated is better because there will be better passage of air through the airways. Sleeping flat on the bed may make you get into a deep sleep and the airway may easily collapse. Thus, it is advisable to sleep in a position where your head is elevated.

The above are just a few methods that can be used together with the CPAP therapy to eliminate and reduce sleep apnea. Consultation with a sleep specialist can help you gain better results when treating this disorder.

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Sleep Apnea - A General Overview

Let's start with trying to understand what sleep apnea is. This is basically an illness, a sleeping disorder. A person suffering from sleep apnea has breathing problems whilst sleeping and cannot breathe consistently, having pauses between intervals of breathing. This disorder has three different kinds; central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea and mixed sleep apnea. The following article will discuss all one needs to know about apnea.

Let's start with explaining obstructive apnea as it is the most common type of sleep apnea. This type of apnea occurs when the air inflow is blocked (or as the name suggests obstructed). This obstruction is the reason that some people snore. The reason for this obstruction is the relaxation of the muscles, which is a natural phenomenon, and since the muscles tone of obese people is very low they are the ones who usually snore more and suffer from obstructive apnea. Other than obese people this is common in smokers and elderly people.

The other two types of apnea aren't as significant as their chances of occurrence as very low, even if they are combined they occur at less than 20% of the cases. But for the sake of knowledge central sleep apnea is occurs when the person suffering from it does not have enough respiratory effect that is he is unable to make proper inflows and outflows of breaths. Whereas mixed sleeping apnea is as the name says, the mixture of both of the other kinds of sleeping apnea and has the effects of both of them.

This disorder is not easily realized by the patient suffering from it, in most cases a year passes without the person noticing he is suffering from sleep apnea. However the symptoms are easily noted by other people who see the patient sleeping. There are a number of different symptoms that the person suffering from apnea will suffer from, some of which are as follows. The most foremost symptom is that the person suffering from apnea will be tired throughout the day and would be sleepy and would feel the lack of sleep. Then the patient would be restless and he would lose focus and concentration and would be less alert, which would also affect his reaction time and make it considerably slow. Also in some cases people suffering from apnea also make feel that their eye sight is becoming weak.

One of the biggest problems with apnea is that it is not easy to diagnose and that it cannot be done in simple office timings. The only way to diagnose it is when the person is asleep and then a sleep study kind of test known as polysomnogram needs to be done. In this test batteries are connected to the person while he is asleep and then he is monitored throughout the night to see what areas of the brain are affected by the apnea disorder.

Like any other kind of illness, apnea is not a very good thing to be suffering from. This is not restricted to any group of people; anyone can suffer from apnea. People suffering from it are usually tired all the time and if this is not treated it builds up with time. Then of course there are more serious issues such as the lack of proper breathing may result in a stroke, a heart attack or a cardiac arrest in the middle of one's sleep. Therefore it is not something to be ignored. Hence above mentioned are the basic things about sleep apnea that the people need to know about so that they can get themselves treated.

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Finding the Best Sleep Apnea Machine

Unfortunately many people throughout the world are affected by the disease sleep apnea. This can be very dangerous and can lead to life long complications or immediate death. Any age group can suffer from this disease including children and the elderly. Getting the knowledge that you have this disease can be life changing but if you follow your doctor's orders and with the help of a machine you may find yourself in much better health.

What is Sleep Apnea?

This is the inability to breathe at night when you go to sleep. Your airway closes which does not allow air to get to your lungs, brain and the rest of your body. In many cases people will snore loudly, wake and gasp air, and be tired constantly during the day. In severe cases you may not wake up, your heart rate will fall and death will occur. Getting to your doctor as soon as possible is imperative if you believe that you have apnea. In some cases the cause of sleep apnea can be simple, tonsils or adenoids that are too large, a small airway, or even being overweight. If you find yourself with these reasons your doctor will go over how to fix the problem with weight loss or surgery. Tests will be run and they will see if you do have it and if you would benefit from a sleep apnea machine.

How to Treat Sleep Apnea

As of now there are not many treatments for the disease other than an oxygen machine known as a sleep apnea machine. This machine can help make sure that you get enough oxygen at night while you sleep and can monitor things like your pulse rate and the oxygen saturation in your blood. A machine will be ordered by your doctor and you will have to make sure that your insurance provider covers it and you will have to go to your local pharmacy or local medical supply house to purchase your sleep apnea machine.

If you find yourself needing a machine, make sure that you do not delay in getting your machine. One of these machines can help to ensure that you breathe at night and do not have to worry about not breathing. With this sleep machine your loved ones will be able to rest at ease as well. If you have sleep apnea make sure that you speak with your doctor today.

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