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Snoring and Sleep Apnea
So many people snore, everyone thinks it's normal.
However, sleeping should be a silent activity. Snoring is not natural and unless you are suffering from a cold or congestion, you should breathe effortlessly when you are awake or asleep. Yet night after night, 1 in 3 adults snore on a regular basis and up to 50% snore occasionally. This comes out to 80 million regularly snoring adults in the United States.
Snoring can be indicative of a more serious health problem called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that can increase your risk of diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. Sleep apnea is defined as a cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or more, occurring more than 4 times per hour during sleep.
It is usually characterized by loud snoring sounds interrupted by periods of silence in which no air passes into the lungs. This lack of oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide will alert the person to partially awaken, forcing the airway to open with a loud gasp. This harmful pattern can occur dozens of times per hour, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness and feelings of unrefreshed sleep upon awakening.
Take our brief sleep apnea test and contact a trained dentist near you for more information.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring may be more than a nuisance. The sound you hear when someone snores is a vibration caused by an obstruction of the airway.
The snoring sound comes from the uvula, the back of the tongue or the other soft tissues of the throat flapping as air passes over them when you breathe during sleep.
When you snore, your airway is being partially blocked by the soft tissues in the back of the throat including the tongue and soft palate.
If the obstruction is great enough, it decreases air flow to the lungs, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain.
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Dr. Isam Estwani
Herndon, VA
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Are you at risk for SLEEP APNEA?
Select a quiz to see how likely you are to have sleep apnea
Sleep Apnea is Dangerous
If it is not treated properly it can lead to a number of dangerous side effects
Heart Attack
Prolonged suffering from obstructive sleep apnea often results in higher blood pressure and may cause enlargement of the heart, with higher risks of heart attack and stroke.
Car accident risk
Poor night's sleep leads to drowsiness during the day and can interfere with your quality of life and increase risk for car accident.
Diabetes
Airway obstruction caused by snoring blocks you from getting oxygen. When you don’t have enough oxygen, the body releases stress hormones. Stress increases insulin resistance and blood sugar.
Depression
Sleep apnea can affect your mental well-being, leading to issues from crankiness from a lack of sleep to serious depression.
Impotence
Many people are so affected by their snoring that they don’t have the desire for intimate relations with their spouse. Treatment for sleep disorders can usually get you back into the game.
Chronic fatigue
Blocked airway doesn't allow you to breath at night. Because of lack of oxygen your brain wakes you up temporarily to take a deep breath. The cycle repeats all night long but you may not know about it!
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Factors affecting the development of Snoring and Sleep Apnea
If you have these symptoms, it is advisable to make an appointment with a doctor.
Timely advice will prevent negative consequences for your health.
Smoking and drinking
Overweight
Hereditary diseases
Sleeping pills and sedatives
Endocrine and hormonal disorder
Anatomically short and thick neck