Beat sleep apnea naturally

Friday, August 16, 2013 by: Dr. David Jockers
Tags: sleep apnea, natural remedies, health

(NaturalNews) Sleep apnea is a terribly uncomfortable syndrome where an individual is unable to breath effectively at night while sleeping. This condition not only impairs an individual's quality of life but greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease as well. Beat sleep apnea with natural lifestyle interventions.

Sleep apnea occurs when air is not adequately able to get through the respiratory tract, creating irregular breathing habits while sleeping. Central sleep apnea refers to a lack of breathing effort while obstructive sleep apnea happens when there is a physical blockage in normal breathing patterns despite regular efforts.

Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition

Sleep apnea is characterized by snoring, choking while sleeping and snorting when oxygen levels drop. The individuals are not able to get a deep sleep and they wake up groggy and tired. They often are sleepy throughout the day because they never get adequate rest.

The majority of individuals with sleep apnea are overweight, however, up to 25% are either normal weight or even under weight. For some, weight loss is a critical component to getting well, but all individuals with this disorder must work to improve their posture, breathing habits and diet. Untreated sleep apnea not only destroys one's quality of life but also leads to a greatly increased risk of stroke, hypertension, heart failure, irregular heart beat and heart attack.

Anti-inflammatory nutrition plan:

Food allergens and intolerances can cause an inflammatory process that leads to obstructive sleep apnea. Removing the most common food allergens, including gluten containing grains, pasteurized dairy, soy products, corn and peanuts, is essential. Many individuals notice an immediate change in their symptoms after removing these inflammatory foods.

The ideal diet should focus on good fats as the primary calorie source in the form of coconut, avocados, olive oil and sprouted nuts and seeds. Clean animal protein in the form of grass-fed beef and bison, wild fish and organic poultry should be consumed regularly. The nutrition plan should feature phytonutrient rich vegetables and herbs and low-glycemic fruit like lemons and berries.

Regular exercise is important for improving breathing mechanics

High intensity cardiovascular exercise and weight training is important for individuals with sleep apnea. Interval training where the individual works up to 90+ percent of their heart rate for periods of time challenges their respiratory tract to become stronger and more efficient. Weight training enhances muscle strength and improves the respiratory system to function well under increased intrathoracic pressure.

Chiropractic care is critical for full recovery

Most individuals with sleep apnea deal with subluxations in their upper cervical spine and often times, their lower cervical and upper thoracic regions. Subluxation is the term for misalignments of the spine that cause compression and irritation of nerve pathways affecting organ systems of the body.

One of the most common problems seen with individuals with sleep apnea is forward head posture. When the head is shifted further forward than it normally should, it adds additional stress and abnormal leverage on the lower cervical and upper thoracic spine, which house the nerves that control the respiratory pathways. This includes the pharynx, larynx, trachea and lungs.

Correct forward head posture and spinal subluxations

Corrective chiropractic care aims to address the forward head posture and subluxation problems. They do this through specific chiropractic adjustments to remove nerve pressure and corrective spinal exercises to balance and improve the postural deficits. This process minimizes physical nerve stress and allows for optimal nerve supply and proper breathing mechanics.

This is vitally important for individuals with sleep apnea to effectively address subluxation and most see remarkable results often in as little as a week with corrective chiropractic care. Others who have more damage in these spinal regions take longer to get over their faulty posture and sleep apnea.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.prlog.org

http://www.naturalnews.com

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http://science.naturalnews.com

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About the author:
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.

His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain - the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.

Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance consultations and health coaching to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. For more information got to www.drjockers.com