Acid Reflux and Sleep Apnea

Many people suffer sleep apnea and acid reflux at the same time. In Latin, apnea means without breath. Sleep Apnea is a disorder where the person sleeping involuntarily stops breathing for approximately ten seconds. It can also last as long as a minute. During an occurrence of apnea, the muscles of the lungs do not move, this occurs several times throughout sleep. The typical symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, constant tiredness and morning headache.

Acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease is a digestive disorder where the stomach acids enter the esophagus and cause damage to the mucus membrane. The burning sensation in the chest is the major symptom of the presence of stomach acid in the esophagus.

A link between chronic heartburn and sleeping disorders has existed for a long time. However, which comes first is unknown. There was a recent study done in Germany that found acid reflux symptoms develop in people that suffer sleep apnea three times more frequently than in normally healthy people. According to this study, it would appear that sleep apnea is that cause and heartburn is the side effect. Other experiments have shown that once the acid reflux disorders have stabilized, the symptoms of sleep apnea fade away completely or at least reduce considerably.

The burning, choking feeling as the stomach acid rises from the stomach up the esophagus. This is a feeling that will certainly keep you awake at night. In this case, it would be obvious that treating the acid reflux would go a long way in improving the quality of the sleep.

Sleep apnea more frequently occurs in older overweight men. Sleep Apnea also occurs in many infants, who suffer from these same symptoms. In order to avoid acid reflux symptoms it is a smart idea not to eat spicy foods and not to eat large meals especially two to three hours before bedtime. If you are hungry and must eat in that 2-3 hour range before bed then try fruits like pineapple or papaya. Crackers and a glass of warm milk are good for the digestive system as well.

Sleep apnea and chronic acid reflux are both associated with obesity. A diet that is heavy in sugar, fast food and fat will cause obesity. A proper healthy diet will go a long way in preventing both sleep apnea and acid reflux. Do not let stomach acid cause inflammation of the throat and larynx. If you avoid acid reflux then you just could be avoiding sleep apnea.

Do you suffer from acid reflux and sleep apnea? Check out our site for valuable information on Acid Reflux and Sleep Apnea by T.D. Houser

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