Sleep apnea???
Are there any exercises (oral) that a person can do to strengthen their neck muscles & mouth muscles, to help stop sleep apnea?
Are there any books on this subject?
There has to be another way of helping this condition other than operations. (yes I am working to lose weight)
Thanks!
Tagged with: amp • exercises • mouth muscles • neck muscles • sleep • sleep apnea
Filed under: Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Muscles normally relax during deep sleep. In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), excess soft tissue in the upper airways cause narrowing. During wakefulness, this does not present a problem due to muscle tone. However, when patients with OSA fall asleep and their muscles relax, they may develop significant airway obstruction. This may result in snoring, poor sleep quality, chronic sleep deprivation, excessive daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, and more.
Because of this mechanism, there are no exercises that can treat OSA. Treatment for OSA depends on the severity of the disease. Mild OSA may be treated with weight loss, avoidance of alcohol and tobacco, and medications that cause sleepiness. Moderate-severe OSA can be treated with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), but some patients cannot tolerate it. Surgery is an option for those who fail or cannot tolerate CPAP. The final option is tracheostomy for those with untreatable life-threatening disease.
Hello,
I’m sorry you’ve OSA. No. There aren’t any exercises to firm up your airways. You do need to lose extra weight. That can minimize/eliminate symptoms. There are expensive dental appliances of minimal use. Standard therapy is by C-PAP machine. These machines are wonderful now. Years ago, they were horrible. Please look up sites on this, & educate yourself. OSA kills. Don’t be a victim. Good Luck.
My husband has sleep apnea and for years refused to admit it until he drove his truck off the road and almost died. He fell asleep at the wheel. He was lucky that he didn’t hurt anyone. The reason I brought this up is because of the seriousness of the condition. He was developing rightsided heart failure and was also abusive. After being tested and starting to wear the CPAP mask it was as though someone reached in and turned on a switch inside of him. His personality did a 180 degree turn. He has a marked increase in energy and his heart failure has gone away completely. Unfortunately there are no exercises that you can do to change the condition. What happens is that the muscles in you neck and throat become extra loose and flacid when you sleep causing them to block your airway. The CPAP machine provides gentle pressure to splint open the airways so that you can breath normally. You stated that you are trying to lose weight and that’s great. You’ll feel better and sleep better. You might want to check out webmd.com they have a really good overview on sleep apnea. Also the Atlanta School for sleep medicine used to allow lay persons onto their web site. Try that one as well. Best wishes
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a common procedure which broadens the airway by removing the surplus tissue such as tonsils, adenoids, uvula etc.
Laser-assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is opted to either remove a part of the soft palate, shorten the uvula or any other extra tissue in the pharynx, which may cause obstruction.
Tracheostomy is a method to make an opening in the trachea, which is also known as the windpipe. A tube is inserted through the opening and is opened only while sleeping so as to facilitate direct passage of air to the lungs.
http://sleep-apnea-info.blogspot.com/2006/09/tretamnets-for-sleep-apnea.html