WHAT IS SNORING?
Although snoring seems physically harmless, it can be a "red flag" for a much more serious and sometimes fatal condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Snoring occurs when your soft palate and tongue relax onto the back of your throat, partially blocking your airway. As air tries to pass through, these structures vibrate against each other and produce the sound we know as snoring which can reach over 90 decibels. That's equivalent to being 3 feet away from your 5 HP lawn mower engine! You should know that half of those who think they just snore, suffer from some degree of sleep apnea.
WHAT IS SLEEP APNEA?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs when the tongue and soft palate collapse onto the back of the throat, totally obstructing the airflow to your lungs and body. When the oxygen level in your brain becomes low enough, your body reacts by partially awakening you to re-open your airway, usually with a loud gasp for air. Because of the frequent arousals, people with sleep apnea don't spend enough time in deep, restful sleep and as a result, almost always suffer quality of life issues, as well as increased risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure , atrial filberation and early dimentia.
HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE SLEEP APNEA?
The only way to know for certain that you have sleep apnea is to get a sleep study. Then a doctor who specializes in the interpretation of sleep studies can make the proper diagnosis. However, if you snore and have other symptoms that we associate with sleep apnea, you should take it upon yourself to get checked out. WHAT ARE THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA?
• Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)
• Fatigue
• Tiredness
• Snoring
• Clouded thinking, irritability, mood swings
• Reflux Disease
• Impotence
• Absence of dreams
|
