Is There Any Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and Acid Reflux?

Sleep apnea and acid reflux disease are linked together. If you are suffering from acid reflux disease, you often find it difficult to sleep.

You can have sessions of nausea, heart burn or exhibit sleep apnea.

Many acid reflux sufferers get symptoms during night after they go to sleep.

Number of studies also showed that sleep apnea sufferers also have nighttime acid reflux and vice versa.

If you suffer from sleep apnea and acid reflux, you often feel drowsy during day time because you don’t get sleep at night.

Acid reflux is a condition characterized by heartburn that can wake you in the middle of the night.

Sleep apnea causes when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses and blocks your airway, causing you to stop breathing while you sleep. When it happens, you wake up to start breathing again.

Suffering from both makes you tired than either one alone. According to few experts, Apneas cause reflux symptoms probably.

The pressure within the lungs and gastrointestinal systems are changed by apneas causing stomach contents to be drawn up into the esophagus causing inflammation resulting in acid reflux. Esophagus is a tube that connects the stomach with the throat.

Other experts say that esophagus irritation due to reflux could cause airway spasms that lead to apneas. If you use acid suppressing drugs for reflux, it also reduces the risk of sleep apnea.

Obesity is the factor associated with both the conditions and can cause them to appear linked.

There are several ways to reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea and acid reflux.

Reduce the symptoms of sleep apnea and acid reflux:

• Due to obesity, sleep apnea can occur. The windpipe muscles relax during sleep. In obese people, the fat build up at the throat can lead to the windpipe collapsing on itself during relaxation. Therefore the breathing is obstructed leading to sleep apnea. Small weight gain triggers acid reflux symptoms. Therefore consult your doctor for implementing a weight loss plan to prevent sleep apnea and acid reflux.
• Elevate your body during sleep. Use another pillow beneath your neck while going to sleep. If your body and head are elevated, the chances of getting acid reflux are lower. You can also keep blocks under the two upper legs of the bed. This way, your head automatically raises and no need to keep extra pillows.
• You should take your dinner well before bedtime to allow the food to be fully digested before you go to sleep. If you are suffering from acid reflux, you have to take your dinner at least three hours before bed time. An early dinner prevents symptoms of heart burn at night.
• Your medication intake time can help sleep better at 8/night. Find out with your doctor, how long it takes for the medication to be effective after consuming it. Therefore take the medication at that time when the effect occurs at the time you go to sleep.