Sleep apnea can have many different symptoms, so it is difficult to diagnose based on the symptoms alone. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, then see your doctor as soon as possible. Some serious symptoms to watch for include: Snoring or breathing interruptions while asleep, observed by your partner Waking up gasping for air or choking Shortness of breath upon waking Having pauses in your breathing (noticed by your partner) Feeling drowsy during the day, or like your sleep has not been restful or restorative Any of the following health issues: hypertension, mood disorder, cognitive dysfunction, coronary artery disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or type 2 diabetes mellitus To diagnose sleep apnea, your doctor will consider your symptoms along with the results of a sleep study. You can undergo a sleep study in a clinical setting or at home. In both situations, your vital signs (breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) will be monitored. Clinical setting. If you decide to have a sleep study done in a clinical setting, then you will have to stay overnight at a sleep clinic. You will be monitored by medical technicians while you sleep. Home-based portable monitor. If you decide to have a sleep study done at home, then you will need to use a portable monitor to monitor your vital signs. There are a three different types of sleep apnea: obstructive, central, and complex. Your doctor should be able to tell you which type you have by considering factors such as your medical history, medications, and sleep study results. Obstructive sleep apnea. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is when the tissues in your throat relax while you are asleep and block your airway. Central sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is less common. This type of sleep apnea is when your brain fails to send a signal to your body to breathe. Complex sleep apnea. This form of sleep apnea is a combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea. After you have undergone testing and received a diagnosis from your doctor, you will be able to talk about treatment options. Your doctor will likely recommend some lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, as well as some special exercises and devices, including a CPAP, that may help. These are described later in the article. In some cases, your sleep apnea may be caused by something that can be corrected with surgery, such as very large tonsils or facial malformations. Surgery to remove these obstructions may provide a long-term cure for severe obstructive sleep apnea.

Summary: See your doctor. Undergo a sleep study. Determine what type of sleep apnea you have. Ask about your treatment options.

Take a piece of scotch tape. Tape the upper flap to the lower flap, placing the tape at the center of the box's side. This side of the box should now be fully concealed by wrapping paper.

Summary: Secure the sides with tape.

The younger your birds, the more quickly they'll adjust to you and your home. Younger birds will only ever be familiar with you and your space, and they shouldn't have to overcome any bad experiences with previous owners. Mature domesticated pigeons should eventually learn to trust you as well, but they may require a little more time and patience. Pigeons are extremely social birds who need constant companionship. If your pigeons choose to court and mate, they'll be together for life. Plan on keeping at least two birds. If you have room, consider creating a small flock of four to six pigeons. If you end up with a mated pair, you may need to keep the pigeons from breeding. Female pigeons lay eggs every month. Once they've laid two eggs, remove the eggs and replace them with warmed-up wooden eggs. Both pigeons will continue to sit on the wooden eggs until they realize they won't hatch. Destroy the real eggs by leaving them outside for other animals to eat. This process will need to be repeated each month. If your female bird is sitting on a fake egg, it won't continue to lay eggs. Laying eggs too often can result in calcium deficiency and death. Any female bird can lay eggs, though without a male bird they will be infertile. You can find fake eggs online. For example, try http://theeggshop.com/. There are many domesticated pigeons without homes located at animal or bird shelters and rescues. While adopting may not allow you to choose the exact age or breed of pigeon that you'd like, you'll be helping out a bird in need. Adoption is also a generally less expensive option than purchasing birds through breeders. Most adoption services will cover any initial vet bills. They sometimes also allow you to foster your birds to see if you make a good match. Adopting may provide you with birds that either require more time before they're tamed, or that never become fully comfortable being touched or handled by you. Be ready to spend lots of time building trust. Find reputable breeders by contacting them directly. Ask how long the breeder has been operating, and see if they'd be willing to send photos of their facility to make sure their birds are well treated. Breeders can allow you to choose younger birds, or racing, homing, and other types of unique pigeons. They'll also be able to provide you with a pair of birds that's used to spending lots of time with people. Birds from breeders may be ready to be handled more quickly than rescued birds. However, they'll likely cost more than rescued birds. If you find a lost or injured wild pigeon, take the bird to a wildlife rescue that won't kill the bird. While wild pigeons may eventually become comfortable as pets, they'll likely never be as tame as domesticated pigeons. It's also not fair to the wild bird to prevent it from enjoying its previous lifestyle. Before you take the pigeon to the rescue, call the facility to be sure they're prepared to care for and then safely release the pigeon. You can find a map of bird-safe rescues located in the United States here: http://www.pigeonrescue.org/resources/some-pigeon-dove-friendly-rescues-in-the-us/ Most animal rescues will not kill the bird unless it is beyond saving or has a low quality of life.
Summary: Adopt or buy young birds for easier taming. Pick pigeons in pairs or groups to keep your birds happy. Adopt your pigeons to save homeless pets. Find a breeder online to buy a specific type of pigeon. Avoid adopting wild pigeons.