Bamboo sheets, free-range eggs and reverse osmosis water: if you adhere to an environmentally friendly lifestyle practice, these three items are familiar. So what can you do if you have sleep apnea and would like to treat your condition naturally?
The good news is that there are sleep apnea natural remedies but the bad news is that scientific testing isn’t available to conclusively prove that any are effective.
Herbs
Valerian Root, Passionflower and Melatonin are three herbs that are often touted to help individuals who might be having difficulty getting a good night’s sleep. However, there is no evidence that either herb will decrease obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Acupuncture
One of the most popular types of alternative medicine is acupuncture, which is believed to help with sleep apnea management. The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture involves thin needles being inserted to various depths into a person’s skin at strategic locations on the body. For this remedy, studies have demonstrated its effectiveness, however, the test groups have been small in number and results have to be viewed with reservation. Therefore, if you are contemplating a natural cure for your sleep apnea with acupuncture, it is advisable to discuss with your physician.
Increase Hydration and Decrease Certain Foods
Staying well hydrated with fluids, especially water, can help keep a person healthy and not just with regard to his or her sleep apnea. By drinking plenty of fluids, your body produces less mucus, especially within nasal passages and the back of your throat, which in turn decreases the incidence of snoring. The same can be said with regard to foods that tend to increase mucus, such as dairy items and bananas.
Breathing Exercises
Sleep apnea can be attributed to some extent by weakened muscles that do not allow a person to properly breathe. Therefore, a logical assumption would be that if you strengthen these muscles you can lessen your OSA.
There are breathing programs and classes available that claim these exercises can stop snoring and cure your sleep apnea. One such program is Buteyko, which maintains that retraining your muscles to breathe more effectively, with the restoration of natural breathing during the day, will help decrease your OSA symptoms. However, the majority of sleep medicine experts do not believe this claim to be true as the program only produces a voluntary change in your breathing while awake. When asleep, your body falls back to its natural physiology.
Other Exercises
There are certain exercises that can be performed to decrease the incidence of airway blockage for those people who suffer from mild sleep apnea. For instance, if you strengthen the tongue, which is actually a muscle, the tendency to drop back and block your airway decreases. Exercising your jaw can relax associated muscles lessening the severity of your OSA. And by toning your throat muscles, they might collapse less often during sleep, and again decreasing breathing passage blockage.
If you are still experiencing symptoms or having issues after trying sleep apnea natural remedies, contact one of our medical concierges today at 1-855-863-4537 to schedule a free consultation to learn how we can help cure your sleep apnea.
