“Honey, stop snoring,” says the wife as she gives her husband a good shove in the middle of the night.
The husband, indignant, rolls over and retorts, “I wasn’t snoring.”
This is a commonly played out bedroom scene that most couples have experienced in the course of their relationship. Some facts about snoring:
In short, if you snore, you’re not alone.
Snoring, as defined by the National Sleep Foundation is “noisy breathing during sleep.” Although those most affected are overweight males, all ages and genders are impacted by snoring.
The rattling sounds of snoring occur when:
As people age, the throat muscles naturally relax and leads to the phenomenon described above. People who have larger tonsils, adenoids, nasal polyps, or a deviated septum may also be more prone to snoring.
Typically, snoring interrupts the quality of sleep for both the snorer and the snorer’s partner. This leads to daytime fatigue and eventually can lead to poorer daily function, performance, and other symptoms.
Many people who are chronic snorers may exhibit the following symptoms:
When these side effects are severe enough to interfere with the quality of life, there’s a good chance that the snorer is suffering from a more serious problem called sleep apnea.
For those who don’t have sleep apnea and still snore, there are a variety of techniques that can be attempted to improve nighttime snoring.
Those who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea complain of:
These symptoms surface because sleep apnea is a disorder that causes an individual to stop\ breathing while sleeping. The upper airway repeatedly is blocked during sleep and causes airflow to almost or completely stop.
Longer-term consequences of sleep apnea can occur if sleep apnea is left untreated due to the lack of oxygen the body receives. Dangers of sleep apnea include:
Luckily, there are a number of treatments for sleep apnea. After a doctor diagnosis someone with sleep apnea by analyzing symptoms, the individual may participate in a sleep study at a sleep center. There, the person will be closely monitored in the areas of sleep state, eye movement, muscle activity, heart rate, respiratory effort, airflow, and blood oxygen levels.
Once diagnosed, many people choose to treat their sleep apnea with a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device. Those using this machine wear a mask that blows air into the airway to keep it open during sleep. If an individual declines the use of a CPAP device, he or she may choose to treat sleep apnea by seeking reconstructive surgery, a dental appliance that repositions the jaw and tongue, or by using nasal EPAP (expiratory positive airway pressure).
Overall, snoring is a completely natural bodily function that easily ignored. However, if snoring becomes too loud or disruptive, it can become a health risk if left untreated. Fortunately, there are numerous treatments available for those who suffer if snoring begins to interfere with the snorer’s quality of life.
If you snore and would like relief for your symptoms, please click the orange button below to take a free online sleep test and talk with one of our sleep health experts as soon as possible.
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/sleep-apnea-treatment
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-apnea
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders-problems/other-sleep-disorders/snoring/page/0/1