Homeopathic Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea refers to momentary pauses in the breathing (varying from seconds to minutes) during sleep. There are three types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, and mixed sleep apnea. Homeopathic medicines for sleep apnea help alleviate the symptoms as well as the body’s tendency to slow or pause breathing due to the condition. The top homeopathic medicines for sleep apnea include Lachesis, Ammonium Carb, and Lemna Minor.

Homeopathic medicines for Obstructed Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea – OSA means interrupted breathing episodes arising from obstructed airways that hinder the flow of air into the lungs mainly due to relaxation of throat muscles during sleep. In central sleep apnea, there is no blockage of the airways, and it arises from a failure of the brain to signal the airway muscles. In mixed sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, as well as central sleep apnea both, appear together. Among these, the obstructive sleep apnea accounts for the majority of sleep apnea cases. Obstructive sleep apnea makes around 80% to 85% of diagnosed cases of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a very common but severe sleep disorder.

Homeopathic Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Some of the well indicated homeopathic medicines to treat obstructive sleep apnea are Lachesis, Ammonium Carb, Agraphis Nutans, Lemna Minor, Sanguinaria Nitricum, Grindelia Robusta, Opium, and Sambucus. The selection of medicines for OSA is made individually for every case keeping in view the symptom presentation as well as the reason behind it. Homeopathic medicines help in OSA by aiming to treat the cause behind it. The homeopathic medicines for OSA are very safe to use among people of all the age group and manage it in a highly safe, natural and efficient manner. The homeopathic medicines for obstructive sleep apnea should be taken only after evaluation by a homeopathic physician.

Homeopathic Medicines for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Lachesis – Top Homeopathic Medicines for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Lachesis is a natural medicine for obstructive sleep apnea where a person wakes up frequently due to obstructed breathing. The person may need to sit up and needs to take a deep breath. Fear of going to sleep may also prevail among them. Such subjects also cannot tolerate anything tight around their neck like collars.

Ammonium Carb and Agraphis Nutans – To Manage OSA with Enlarged Adenoids or Tonsils

Both Ammonium Carb and Agraphis Nutans works well in cases of OSA that links with enlarged adenoids or enlarged tonsils. The indicating features to use Ammonium Carb are blocked nose at night, inability to breathe through the nose, waking with starting from sleep. Excessive sleepiness during the daytime is also well noted. The symptoms for using Agraphis Nutans are enlarged tonsils or enlarged adenoids with obstructive sleep apnea, obstruction of nose, tendency to take cold frequently. In addition to these symptoms, deafness or ear discharge may be present.

Lemna Minor and Sanguinaria Nitricum – For OSA with Nasal Polyps Complaint

For managing OSA, homeopathic medicines Lemna Minor and Sanguinaria Nitricum are highly suitable. Lemna Minor offers help in cases when the symptoms are OSA with stuffed nostrils from polyps, foul smell from the nose, thick yellow-white discharge from the nose and snoring.
Sanguinaria Nitricum is useful when symptoms include OSA with the dryness of nostrils, yellow-bloody mucus discharge from the nose, sneezing, burning in nostrils, desire for fresh air, and poor/restless sleep. Nasal turbinate hypertrophy may be present along with nasal polyps for using both these medicines.

Grindelia Robusta – For OSA in Asthmatic Individuals

Grindelia Robusta is a natural medicine for OSA in asthmatic patients where the person stops breathing while sleep and wakes with a start suddenly. There is a need to sit up to breathe as well as oppression felt in the chest with tough, tenacious white expectoration and wheezing.

Opium: For Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Snoring

Opium offers a natural treatment for obstructive sleep apnea when a person tends to snore deeply. The person faces spells of stopped breathing upon going to sleep and may also feel suffocated. Excessive drowsiness and sluggishness during the day may be there.

Sambucus – For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Management in Children

Sambucus is an effective medicine for obstructive sleep apnea in children. The child needing Sambucus wakes up suddenly during sleep feeling suffocated. He sits up and gasps for breath. The episodes of pauses of breathing are repeated several times during sleep. Increased sweating also attends. Nose is dry and obstructed.

Managing Sleep Apnea

The key actions that can help manage obstructive sleep apnea include weight management, avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, sleeping on sides instead of back, avoiding the use of sleeping pills or tranquilizers.

Causes and Risk Factors of Sleep Apnea

The primary reason for obstructive sleep apnea is an extreme relaxation of the nose or throat muscles during sleep. Obesity, thick/large neck are the major risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea. Enlarged adenoids and tonsils are yet another prominent factors linked with obstructive sleep apnea. Structural deformities of the nose like DNS – deviated nasal septum may also result in OSA. The rest important risk factors include smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, asthma, nose blockage from nasal polyps, nasal allergies, and sinus complaints. The chances of OSA are found to be higher in males as compared to females. A family history of OSA also predisposes a person to get the same condition. A person with age 40 yrs and older are more prone to develop OSA.

Symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include loud snoring, sudden waking from sleep with gasping/choking, restless sleep, intense sleepiness/drowsiness during the daytime, problems with concentration during the day. Other symptoms include high irritability, mood changes, morning headaches, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, decreased sex drive, excessive sweating, poor performance in daily activities like at workplace or school.

Complications of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea may lead to various complications like sleepiness during the daytime, weakness/fatigue, many mental symptoms (like irritability, depression, mood changes), hypertension, arrhythmias, cardiac complaints, stroke, type 2 diabetes and more.