Sleep apnea is a condition where those who suffer from it have short instances of breathing cessation while they sleep. These brief periods without breathing can occur a multiplicity of times throughout the night. This can adversely effect the quality of your sleep, and in the worst scenarios sleep apnea can lead to a host of more serious medical conditions. There are a variety of available cures for sleep apnea, and the most appropriate one for you depends upon the severity and type of your particular manifestation of sleep apnea.

Some cases of apnea arise due to your sleeping position. This enables one of the easiest cures for sleep apnea, and it is commonly called “positional therapy”. This sleep apnea cure simply entails changing your sleeping position so as to prevent obstruction of your airway. Most commonly this equates to ensuring that you do not sleep on your back in that sleeping in this supine position has been shown to constrict muscles resulting in a narrower airway. Positional therapy can be effectuated by creative home remedies like putting some tennis balls in a tube sock sewn to the back of you sleeping shirt, or alternatively by purchasing a wide range of commercially sold sleep products designed to prevent you from sleeping in the supine (on your back) position.

One of the most salient cures for sleep apnea is to lose weight. Many cases of apnea are tied to weight gain which ends up creating airway blockages. Losing weight is obviously beneficial in many regards, but it often is of paramount importance when it comes to treating sleep apnea. Also on the list of possible cures for sleep apnea is to avoid the consumption of alcohol or medications which serve as central nervous system depressants prior to going to sleep. These CNS depressants can trigger muscles to constrict thus blocking smooth air flow much akin to what can arise from sleeping in the supine position.

Should these cures for sleep apnea not work, there are several others which can be tried depending upon the severity of your sleep apnea symptoms. Special oral devices can be provided by your dentist which facilitate an open airway. A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask is sometimes indicated in severe cases of sleep apnea. In the most severe cases of sleep apnea, surgical procedures might be warranted. Before these more drastic cures for sleep apnea are entertained, it is best to exhaust all other available less invasive techniques. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, then it is important to explore the available cures and take the necessary steps to protect yourself against the potentially serious sleep apnea side effects.

It happens quite often. You’re sound asleep one moment, then suddenly you’re gasping for air. You’re eyes are wide open, you are trying to inhale or exhale, but your throat is clamped shut. While there are quite a few reasons this could be happening, the most commonly known ailment is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also know as OSA.  This type of ailment is common to approximately 5 % of the world’s population.

OSA occurs when a person who is asleep stops breathing because their airway collapses. It does not stay collapsed but it does restrict airflow for a noticeable amount of time. Symptoms of OSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, include snoring and being excessively sleepy during the day. Although being overweight is a risk factor for this type of problem, thin people still get it. Allowing this problem to persist can result in heart disease, high blood pressure and even stroke.

There is treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The easiest type of treatment is positional. The belief is that sleeping on your back can be more harmful to this sort of condition. Try sleeping on your side. Some people have been known to put tennis balls inside a tube sock and pin it to their nightshirt to keep them from rolling onto their back while asleep. Another way to reduce episodes from OSA is to sleep on your back with your chest elevated on a wedge type rest. Make sure it’s not a pillow that forces your chin to your chest. Avoid alcohol and other central nervous system depressants as these tend to me OSA worse by relaxing the muscles to the airway which reduces the respiratory drive and increases the amount of episodes you might have. If weight is an issue, then the simple idea of weight loss will fix the problem. Medical intervention includes the use of a CPAP machine which is worn at night and acts in a splint like manner for the airway using air from the room. The last resort method is surgery to fix the problem. However, surgery is risky in that it could make the OSA better or it could make it worse.

Before jumping into something, consider other things that may cause you to have the feeling of choking in the middle of the night. The temporary conditions of heartburn, post nasal drip and vocal cord spasms can also cause you to feel as if you’re choking. Discuss your symptoms with a doctor in order to determine a correct diagnosis as well as a correct treatment option. Most doctors will recommend an overnight sleep study if they are unsure as to your exact condition.