If you're not getting a good nights rest, your entire body is going to pay the price. If your sleep is being disrupted every night, it might not be a simple case of insomnia. You could be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA. According to research, about 25 million adults suffer from sleep apnea. The same research shows that OSA can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and and Type 2 diabetes.

If you've been diagnosed with OSA, you don't have to suffer through sleepless nights. Here are four steps you can take to gain relief from OSA.

Control Your Weight

If you're overweight, it could be increasing the severity of your OSA. In fact, it could be a cause of the ailment. If you've been diagnosed with OSA, and you're overweight, you need to take off some of the extra pounds, especially around the midsection of your body. One way to do that is through daily exercise. Even if you're not physically able to take on a strenuous exercise routine, there are still ways you can increase your daily activity level, including taking walks a couple times a day. You should also increase your daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Talk to Your Dentist About Oral Appliances

If OSA is causing you sleepless nights, you should talk to your dentist about oral appliances. You may benefit from an apnea mouth guard. These mouth guards are custom-fitted to your mouth, and are worn while you sleep. They work by holding your mouth and jaw in proper alignment to allow you to sleep without obstruction to your airway. To learn more about sleep apnea appliances, contact local services such as Leidenheimer Dental Group Inc.

Use CPAP Breathing Assistance

If you suffer from OSA that has not responded to weight control efforts, or mouth guards, you may be in need of CPAP breathing assistance. A CPAP machine is a device that provides you with intermittent puffs of oxygen while you sleep. The oxygen is administered through a face mask that you wear while you're sleeping.

Consider Surgical Intervention

If your sleep apnea is severe enough to cause dangerous episodes of breathing interruption while you're asleep, it might be time to consider surgical interventions. Surgical intervention is particularly beneficial when you have extra tissue in your throat that interferes with airflow through your breathing passages.

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