Is
there any connection between acid reflux and
sleep apnea? In fact, sleep apnea is
disruption of breathing while asleep. It may be caused due to
nighttime gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
a condition characterized by heartburn, which
keeps a person up all night often without memory
of it the next day. Sleep apneas can wake
people hundreds of times a night without their
knowledge.
Some
doctors believe that apneas probably cause acid
reflux symptoms. Apneas (and waking up because of
them) change the pressure within the lungs and
gastrointestinal systems, possibly causing some
stomach contents to be regurgitated into the
esophagus. Others think it could be the other way
around. Irritation of the esophagus due to acid
reflux could cause spasms of the respiratory tract
that lead to sleep apneas. An explanation to the
link between acid reflux and sleep apnea
could be that when a person is awake, gravity
helps keep the stomach acids down in the stomach,
but when lying down, these acids may reflux into
the esophagus. Swallowing, which sends the acid
back into the stomach is also absent during sleep.
Obesity is strongly associated with both acid
reflux as well as sleep apnea causing them to
appear linked. Most patients experience an
improvement in both conditions if they lose
weight.
Following
steps have been found to cure acid reflux and
sleep apnea:
1)
Losing weight almost certainly
helps.
2)
Avoid eating large meals, smaller frequent meals
do not cause distension of stomach reducing
chances of acid reflux.
3)
Eat slowly and chew food
well.
4)
Do not lie down immediately after a meal. Allow at
least three to four hours between the last meal
and bedtime.
5)
Avoid spicy, fatty foods, chocolates, mint, and
other foods that cause
acidity.
6)
Stress management and relaxation also help in
preventing acid reflux.
7)
For sleep apnea try continuous positive airway
pressure (CPAP), this involves wearing a mask at
night that supplies a steady stream of air into
the nose.
8)
Interestingly, CPAP has also been shown to improve
reflux symptoms.
9)
Eat papayas, bananas, pineapple for aiding
digestion.
10)
Avoid caffeinated, carbonated, and alcoholic
beverages.
11)
Stop smoking.
Acid
reflux is basically a lifestyle disease and
holistic medicine is more effective in curing it
than drugs which only offer temporary relief of
symptoms. Holistic medicine helps by correcting
the imbalance between the mind, body and spirit to
improve the quality of life. Curing acid reflux
will also cure sleep apnea and lead to a night
of peaceful sleep and considerable improvement in
general
health.
