Research has shown that as many of 15% of the middle-aged population deal with the problem of sleep apnea. Many of the people that suffer from the condition are not even aware of it. They may know that they snore or they may realize that they do not get a restful night of sleep, so they do not even worry about what it is doing to their body. For the people that do realize they have an issue with sleep apnea or snoring, they should try to find out some ways to treat it.

Ways to Treat Sleep Apnea

Treating sleep apnea can be done in different ways. The type of treatment that a person can use will depend on a few different things.

• The severity of the problem
• The individual’s commitment to treating the sleep apnea

The first step to treating sleep apnea and snoring is to evaluate the problem. A sleep apnea test can be conducted. During the test, a person will be monitored as they sleep. The occurrences of sleep apnea and their duration will be noted. This will allow a person to know how severe their problem is. From there they can decide to treat the condition either with behavioral changes or with the help of a device used to treat sleep apnea.

The behavioral changes can include:

• Losing weight – Being overweight can be the reasons that a person is suffering from sleep apnea. By losing the weight, the airway can be opened up while sleeping and the snoring and apnea can disappear.
• Changing the way that you sleep – A person that sleeps on their back may be able to alleviate the problem by sleeping on their side.
• Watching what you eat – Some foods and the time that a person eats may contribute to the apnea.

The CPAP machine is a device that people can use to help treat sleep apnea and snoring. It provides a person with positive air pressure as they sleep through a mask that fits over their nose. It has helped many people.

For more information about sleep apnea, snoring and how to treat it, see what Dr. Levy has to say and offer.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea Part One