Losing weight is considered as one of the most effective ways to ease their symptoms of sleep apnea. If you’re trying to lose weight to tackle the condition, there’s a particular area that you need to focus on. A recent study suggested that shedding tongue fat can ease aleep apnea.
Tongue fat? You’re not the only one giving this surprising expression. Not many people know that the tongue harbours body fat.
Earlier, a study conducted in 2014 found that people with sleep apnea typically have larger tongues with more fat tissue. This year, another study revealed a direct correlation between loss of tongue fat and patients’ symptom improvement.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the muscles of the throat fail to keep the airways open during sleep. This leads to repeated interruptions in breathing and poor sleep. Other symptoms may include loud snoring and daytime daytime sleepiness.
Most sleep apnea treatments aim to relieve symptoms and restore regular breathing during sleep. Treatments include the use of mouthpieces and breathing devices such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
Natural Remedies for Sleep Apnea
Health experts may also recommend a number of lifestyle changes to fight sleep apnea. Luckily, there are also natural remedies that may help ease the symptoms. However, scientific support is lacking.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one such alternative medicines that may help manage sleep apnea symptoms. A 2009 study found that people with obstructive sleep apnea who received three to five acupuncture sessions per week showed significant improvements in factors such as hypoxia.
Another study conducted in 2016 concluded that manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture was effective in improving the apnea/hypopnea index and oxygen saturation.
Herbs
Herbs such as passionflower and valerian are also sometimes recommended in the treatment of sleep apnea. However, researchers say it’s too early to recommend herbal remedies or supplements for sleep apnea.
When left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a number of serious complications. Many of these result from sudden drop in blood oxygen levels. These complications include, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, increased risk for heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and heart failure