Sleep apnea is an unpleasant medical condition that can cause a person to wake up more than a hundred times in a single night, which can greatly reduce the quality of their sleep and lead to a wide variety of health problems and quality-of-issues. Unfortunately, sleep apnea diagnoses have become more common in recent years, but there are a number of measures you can take to reduce your risk of developing this condition or mitigate its symptoms. Here are a few risk factors to look out for and how you can address them.
Obesity
In many cases, sleep apnea results from the weight of the relaxing tissues in the neck pressing down on the windpipe and reducing the flow of oxygen into the body during slumber. When the brain realizes it is not getting enough oxygen, it will send a distress signal to the rest of the body, causing the person to wake up suddenly so they can resume breathing normally. Being overweight can increase the volume of tissue weighing down on your windpipe when you sleep as well as your risk of sleep apnea.
Lack of Exercise
Not exercising frequently can lead to a wide range of overall health problems such as obesity, and sleep apnea is strongly associated with sedentary lifestyles. Exerting your body reasonably beyond its comfort zone for a half hour each day is often enough to teach one’s cardiovascular system to run more efficiently, which can prevent or reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Tobacco
If there’s anything tobacco is good for, it’s clogging up your biological pathways so your body cannot function as smoothly or comfortably as it should. A tobacco habit can impede your circulation by causing your blood vessels to constrict while also reducing the rate at which your body can absorb oxygen. This has the effect of reducing the oxygen levels in your blood so that you are more likely to wake up at night due to lack of breath. It’s best for sleep apnea patients to quit their tobacco habits.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a muscle relaxant, which means that it may make your neck muscles weigh more heavily on your windpipe when you sleep. While it’s best for sleep apnea patients to abstain from drinking alcohol, you can mitigate its effects by not drinking during the hours before you go to bed.
About the Practice
Beck Dental Care of Columbia offers the most outstanding oral health services in town. Led by Drs. Matthew Hart, Kyle Williams, and Philip Matthews, the staff ensures that each patient receives sincere courtesy and exemplary customer service in a clean and friendly office environment. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry as well as sleep apnea treatments. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, contact the office online or dial (931) 388-8452.