Wingnut
Footballguy
Some interesting info I stumbled upon when researching OSA. This info in a few years old, but I figured it may be of interest to some of you who have sleep apnea and use CPAPs....I mean, it doesnt cost a dime to try...do a google search for "throat tongue exercises sleep apnea" and you will get a ton of hits.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/25real.html
Throat Exercises Can Relieve Sleep Apnea (and snoring)
For people suffering from sleep apnea, specialized breathing machines are the standard treatment.
The machines use a method called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which keeps the airway open and relieves potentially dangerous pauses in breathing during the night. But the machines are expensive, and some people complain that the mask and headgear cause uncomfortable side effects, like congestion.
One free and fairly simple alternative may be exercises that strengthen the throat. While they aren’t as established or as well studied as breathing machines, some research suggests they may reduce the severity of sleep apnea by building up muscles around the airway, making them less likely to collapse at night.
In a study published last year in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, scientists recruited a group of people with obstructive sleep apnea and split them into two groups. One was trained to do breathing exercises daily, while the other did 30 minutes of throat exercises, including swallowing and chewing motions, placing the tip of the tongue against the front of the palate and sliding it back, and pronouncing certain vowels quickly and continuously.
After three months, subjects who did the throat exercises snored less, slept better and reduced the severity of their condition by 39 percent. They also showed reductions in neck circumference, a known risk factor for apnea. The control group showed almost no improvement.
Other randomized studies have found similar effects. One even showed that playing instruments that strengthen the airways, like the didgeridoo, can ease sleep apnea.
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Heres a youtube video made by a doctor in Hawaii that shows some daily throat/tongue exercises you can do to supposedly stop sleep apnea and snoring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJysIYGbLc
This could all be bunk...but actual studies have shown that it can help...just look around for different videos/atricles that show or explain different exercises...ya never know. I snore like a Wildebeest, and sometimes wake in the night gasping for air...pretty sure I have OSA...Ive been doing some of the exercises in the above video for about a week, as well as a few others Ive found, and it could be all in my head, but I feel like I may not be snoring as much or heavy as I usually do...and I also havent been waking in my sleep as much as I normally do...I also have been feeling more refreshed when I wake up, so maybe theyre actually working a bit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/health/25real.html
Throat Exercises Can Relieve Sleep Apnea (and snoring)
For people suffering from sleep apnea, specialized breathing machines are the standard treatment.
The machines use a method called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which keeps the airway open and relieves potentially dangerous pauses in breathing during the night. But the machines are expensive, and some people complain that the mask and headgear cause uncomfortable side effects, like congestion.
One free and fairly simple alternative may be exercises that strengthen the throat. While they aren’t as established or as well studied as breathing machines, some research suggests they may reduce the severity of sleep apnea by building up muscles around the airway, making them less likely to collapse at night.
In a study published last year in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, scientists recruited a group of people with obstructive sleep apnea and split them into two groups. One was trained to do breathing exercises daily, while the other did 30 minutes of throat exercises, including swallowing and chewing motions, placing the tip of the tongue against the front of the palate and sliding it back, and pronouncing certain vowels quickly and continuously.
After three months, subjects who did the throat exercises snored less, slept better and reduced the severity of their condition by 39 percent. They also showed reductions in neck circumference, a known risk factor for apnea. The control group showed almost no improvement.
Other randomized studies have found similar effects. One even showed that playing instruments that strengthen the airways, like the didgeridoo, can ease sleep apnea.
--------------------------------------------------------
Heres a youtube video made by a doctor in Hawaii that shows some daily throat/tongue exercises you can do to supposedly stop sleep apnea and snoring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJysIYGbLc
This could all be bunk...but actual studies have shown that it can help...just look around for different videos/atricles that show or explain different exercises...ya never know. I snore like a Wildebeest, and sometimes wake in the night gasping for air...pretty sure I have OSA...Ive been doing some of the exercises in the above video for about a week, as well as a few others Ive found, and it could be all in my head, but I feel like I may not be snoring as much or heavy as I usually do...and I also havent been waking in my sleep as much as I normally do...I also have been feeling more refreshed when I wake up, so maybe theyre actually working a bit.
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But hey, it helps alleviate the soreness and actually helps you get a better seal. Eventually your nares will toughen up and you won't need it anymore.
