Snoring is a habit nobody likes as it not only is embarrassing but can also be annoying for someone listening to it. It is taken as a joke by most people, but the snoring pattern should be carefully observed as it could be a sign of a severe condition.
Is your snoring very loud? Are you struggling with daytime fatigue? You could be a patient of sleep apnea. This condition can not only leave you exhausted during the day due to lack of sleep, but it can also affect your relationship with your partner. The lack of sleep can ruin your mood, and you might be irritated all day. You should be aware of the signs as it could potentially affect your health. You can quickly get rid of this problem and enjoy a good night’s sleep. The first step would be overcoming the embarrassment regarding the snoring and learning all the facts about this condition.
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder. In this condition, a person’s breathing is disturbed or interrupted briefly while sleeping. The breathing stops multiple times while a person is asleep. It can range from 5 to 30 times per minute.The cessation of breath is involuntary and can cause you jolt out of your peaceful sleep. The disturbance in sleep is because the person wakes up gasping for air. Lack of sleep makes the person slow and less energetic and sharp than usual.
Usually, people are embarrassed by their snoring and tend to ignore it. But it is essential to get rid of this self-consciousness as it can be a severe threat to your health.
Types of Sleep apnea
The three types of sleep apnea are:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: It is the most common form of sleep apnea. It is caused because the airway is blocked due to the relaxing or collapsing of soft tissue at the back of the throat while we're asleep. It leads to snoring.
- Central sleep apnea: This type of sleep apnea is not very common. The airway is not blocked, and the central nervous system is involved. The brain fails in sending signals to the muscles involved in breathing. It occurs when the respiratory control center is unstable.
- Complex sleep apnea: It is a combination of obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. It is also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea.
Are you at risk?
Identifying sleep apnea is difficult on our own as we are asleep while it the symptoms occurs. Taking the help of a friend or partner could be helpful in learning about your snoring patterns and sleep habits. Choking or gasping sounds between snoring while sleeping can be significant signs of having sleep apnea. Here are the symptoms of sleep apnea that you should know:
- Loud snoring every time you sleep.
- Sounds like choking and gasping.
- Breathing with constant pauses.
- Shortness of breath causing a disturbance in sleep.
- Fatigue and sleepiness during the day.
Other signs that could occur due to sleep apnea are:
- The decrease in attention and alertness.
- Lack of energy.
- Moodiness.
- Irritability and belligerence.
- Difficulty in concentrating and constant forgetfulness.
- Morning headaches.
- Having a sore or dry mouth when you wake up.
Anyone can be at risk of sleep apnea. It is known to affect people at any age, even kids. However, some factors can put you at a high risk of sleep apnea. You could be at risk if you are among the following:
- Overweight people
- Male gender
- People aged over 40
- People with family history of sleep apnea
- Large necked people( 16-17 inches)
- People suffering from GERD ( Gastrointestinal reflux disease)
- People with large tonsils or tongue or a small jaw bone
- People suffering from allergies deviated septum or sinus problems leading to nasal obstruction.
Why is it risky?
Obstructive sleep apnea if left untreated can cause a lot of other serious health problems. This type of sleep apnea causes lack of oxygen in the body and hence could lead to the death of the person. Some of the potential health risks caused by sleep apnea are:
- Heart failure
- Irregularity of heartbeats and heart attack
- Stroke
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Worsening of ADHD
- Headaches
Dr. Atif Sohail, who manages an Arlington Sleep Apnea Clinic, recommends identifying the possibility of sleep apnea and getting it treated before it results in serious health hazards. So if you are a loud and chronic snorer, or if your partner notices any of the symptoms in your sleeping pattern contact your doctor immediately!
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea
- https://www.sleepapnea.org/learn/sleep-apnea/
- http://heartandsleepclinics.com/sleep-apnea/
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