It is not possible to swallow the tongue. Bodily tissue firmly connects the tongue to the mouth, which prevents people from accidentally swallowing it. It is a common myth that a person can swallow their tongue during a seizure, while asleep, or if they become unconscious.
While you cannot actually swallow your tongue, it can fall to the back of your mouth and block your airway if you have obstructive sleep apnea. This is when air is physically blocked from getting to your lungs while you sleep. It generally happens when a person is sleeping on their back.
The tongue is one factor that can cause obstruction and it does this by falling back into the throat during sleep. Whether you have a large tongue, weak tongue muscles or a narrow airway that's more easily blocked off, tongue obstruction may arise for several reasons.
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the muscles that support the soft tissues in your throat, such as your tongue and soft palate, temporarily relax.
If you have heard of unconscious people "swallowing their tongue" and choking to death, the situation is exactly the same as in obstructive sleep apnea, except that the brain does not awaken and the airway muscles are not roused to open the airway. Putting on weight increases the tendency for the airway to collapse.
What Is a Tongue Stabilizing Device? A TSD is a small piece of plastic that sits at your lips and resembles a large pacifier with a hole into which you can insert your tongue. When placed in the mouth, it can hold your tongue forward, which might alleviate snoring or sleep apnea that occurs with an obstructed airway.
During sleep, for example, your tongue relaxes and falls back. If it's larger than usual, or set higher than normal, it can fully or partially block your airway. This means you'll struggle to breathe when you're asleep, diminishing the quality of your rest and causing a range of other oral health issues.
Practicing proper tongue positioning can lead to improved sleep, better breathing, and decreased neck, jaw, or head pain. So what exactly is the right way to do this? Focus on resting your tongue gently on the roof of your mouth and about a half an inch away from your teeth.
Make sure your tongue is pushing against the gum. Next, bite your teeth together and keep your lips apart. Lastly, swallow but be sure to keep your teeth together and lips apart. Performing this exercise two times in the morning and in the evening can stop tongue thrusting in its tracks.
Scalloped tongue
A tongue that has scalloped edges is another sign that sleep apnea is a problem.
The sleep-related swallowing and choking syndrome is described as an occult cause of insomnia with inadequate swallowing during sleep, resulting in aspiration of saliva, coughing, and choking [2]. The condition is intermittently associated with brief arousals or awakenings.
Sleep Apnea FAQs
The life expectancy of a patient with sleep apnea who is under 50 years old is between 8 and 18 years. If patients receive the treatment they are likely to live longer, with fewer excess health complications than those who do not receive treatment.
Choking in your sleep may feel like a sensation of not being able to breathe or like something is blocking your airway. You may also experience coughing, gagging or choking on saliva, and you may wake up feeling distressed or panicked.
The tongue itself goes all the way down to the hyoid bone, in your throat. So if you want to accurately measure the entire tongue, probably the most accurate way is to measure from the tongue tip to the epiglottis (down in the throat) while the tongue is at rest.
Sleeping with the mouth open is incredibly bad for patients' health. It negatively impacts both oral health and overall physical health. The adverse effects of mouth breathing can lead to everything from cavities to heart disease. When patients breathe through their mouths, it dries up the saliva in the mouth.
The cessation of breathing usually occurs because there is a blockage (obstruction) in the airway. Obstructive sleep apnea affects many children and is most commonly found in children between 2 and 6 years of age, but can occur at any age.
The first stage of sleep apnea is benign snoring. Benign snoring is often harmless, but it can be an indication that sleep apnea will develop in the future. Benign snoring should be monitored, making sure the condition does not become consistent, very loud, or start disrupting sleep.
Can an Apple Watch Detect Sleep Apnea? Like Fitbit and other wearables, the Apple Watch can detect certain parameters like heart rate and blood oxygen saturation that may indicate sleep apnea, but it cannot comprehensively detect or diagnose sleep apnea.
Proper Tongue Positioning
When your mouth is at rest, your tongue should be against the roof of your mouth, but it should not be pressing against any of your teeth. Your teeth should be slightly apart, and your lips should be closed.
A tongue thrust is a habit someone develops that may start as a mouth breathing issue. When your tongue is resting at the bottom of your mouth, every time you swallow it is pushing forward against your teeth. Essentially, it's poor muscle coordination, and is a habit that can be fixed.
For patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea, dental appliances or oral mandibular advancement devices that prevent the tongue from blocking the throat and/or advance the lower jaw forward can be made. These devices help keep the airway open during sleep.
A pink tongue is healthy and normal. A red tongue may indicate heat in the body like a fever or a hormonal imbalance. A reddish purple tongue is a sign that there may be inflammation or an infection in the body. A pale pink tongue may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, a weak immune system or a lack of energy.
White tongue is the result of an overgrowth and swelling of the fingerlike projections (papillae) on the surface of your tongue. The appearance of a white coating is caused by debris, bacteria and dead cells getting lodged between the enlarged and sometimes inflamed papillae.
Q: Can weight loss cure sleep apnea? A: The short answer is no. While there are several sleep apnea treatment options available, there is no cure. However, weight loss may help reduce sleep apnea symptoms for some people, but only if you have obstructive sleep apnea.