Snoring
Can Be Harmful to Health and Relationships
Most men do not take snoring seriously. But maybe they should.
Those nocturnal snorts, whistles, and wheezes can actually cause serious problems
- for your health and your relationships if your snoring keeps others awake
at night.
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) estimates
that nearly one in three Americans snores occasionally, and 37 million are
habitual snorers.
"Primary snoring is a pretty common entity," says Dr. Bradley
Rowens, at St. John Providence Park Hospital in Novi, Michigan. "Probably 40
percent of males between 30 and 60 years old, and probably 30 percent of women
in that age group snore."
Sometimes, snoring is a sign of a more serious problem -
obstructive sleep apnea. In sleep apnea, people actually stop breathing for
several seconds.
This disorder can contribute to high blood pressure and
even cause stroke, according to the National Institutes
of Health (NIH).
However, it can be hard for the average person to distinguish
between heavy snoring and apnea, according to Susan Zafarlotfi, Ph.D., at Hackensack
University Medical Center in New Jersey.
For that
reason, anyone who habitually snores should see his
or her physician or a sleep specialist to determine if the problem is
sleep apnea, rather than ordinary snoring, she says.
Dr. Rowens
says primary snoring is typically a regular, monotonous sound - "a sawing-wood
type of noise, not punctuated with stopping breathing, squeaking, or gasps."
For most persons, snoring does not pose a great health risk,
although the NSF says snoring can disrupt your
sleep to the point where you may experience headaches, fatigue, and concentration
problems during the day.
For your partner, however, his or her lack of sleep - called
environmental insomnia - can cause these symptoms and more.
"Snoring definitely causes difficulties for the partner," says
Dr. Zafarlotfi, who adds that most men come in to have their snoring evaluated
after prompting from their partner.
Snoring occurs when the airway becomes partially blocked.
The noise originates in the back of the mouth where the tongue, uvula, upper
throat, and soft palate meet.
If these structures rub together, the resulting noise from
the vibrations creates snoring.
Common causes of snoring are excess weight, which narrows
the airway making it more likely that the parts will rub together; nasal congestion,
either from allergies or a cold; alcohol or sedating medications that relax
the airways; or anatomical defects, such as a deviated septum.
Treatments for snoring often depend on the cause. If enlarged
adenoids or a deviated septum are causing your snoring, surgery may be necessary.
However, most physicians recommend lifestyle changes first.
These include losing weight, exercising more, and eliminating alcohol and other
sedating medications before bedtime.
"Weight is a big issue, because excess weight narrows the
airway," says Dr. Zafarlotfi.
Quitting smoking is also helpful, according to Dr. Rowens.
For many persons, making sure they do not sleep on their
back does the trick. To keep yourself from rolling onto your back in the middle
of the night, Dr. Rowens suggests sewing a tennis ball into the back of your
pajamas.
If nasal congestion is the cause of your snoring, nasal
decongestants or antihistamines to control your allergies may help.
However, antihistamines can also contribute to the problem
because many are sedating.
Dr. Rowens says that nasal dilating strips are helpful for
some persons.
There are also dental devices that help keep the tongue
in place to prevent snoring. And, new procedures are being developed all the
time. The latest involves inserting small rods into the back of the throat,
stiffening the soft palate, and making it less likely to vibrate, he says.
If your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, the gold standard
of non-surgical treatment is called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure),
says Dr. Zafarlotfi.
Using a specially designed nasal mask or pillows, CPAP delivers
air into the airway, with the flow of air creating enough pressure when you
inhale to keep the airway open, states the American
Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.
Other treatments are not generally recommended, because
they can stop the snoring, but the apnea is still present.
Always consult your physician for more information.
|
Snoring
Can Be Harmful to Health and Relationships
Learn
the Cause and Fix the Problem
Sleep
Apnea Solutions Improved
Sleep
Apnea Defined
Online
Resources
Other Resources:
Find a St. John's Mercy
Physician
Men's
Health Information
St.
John's Mercy Classes and Programs
Sleep apnea
is characterized by a number of involuntary breathing pauses or "apneic events" during
a single night's sleep - maybe as many as 20 to 30 or more events per hour.
These events are almost always accompanied by snoring
between apneic episodes (although not everyone who snores has sleep apnea).
Sleep apnea may also be characterized by choking sensations.
The frequent interruptions of deep, restorative sleep often lead to early
morning headaches and excessive daytime sleepiness.
During the apneic event, the person is unable to breathe
in oxygen and to exhale carbon dioxide, resulting in low levels of oxygen
and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the blood.
The reduction in oxygen and increase in carbon dioxide
alert the brain to resume breathing and cause an arousal.
With each arousal, a signal is sent from the brain to
the upper airway muscles to open the airway; breathing is resumed, often
with a loud snort or gasp.
Frequent arousals, although necessary for breathing to
restart, prevent a person from getting enough restorative, deep sleep.
Certain mechanical and structural problems in the airway
cause the interruptions in breathing during sleep.
Apnea occurs:
- when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block
the opening of the airway
- when the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the
uvula relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked, making breathing labored
and noisy and even stopping it altogether
- in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes
it to be narrowed
- with a narrowed airway, the person continues his/her efforts to breathe,
but air cannot easily flow into or out of the nose or mouth
Diagnosis of sleep apnea is not simple because there can
be many different causes.
Primary care physicians, pulmonologists, neurologists,
or other physicians with specialty training in sleep disorders may be involved
in making a definitive diagnosis and initiating treatment.
Several tests are available for evaluating a person for
sleep apnea, including the following:
- polysomnography - a test that records a variety of body functions during
sleep, such as the electrical activity of the brain, eye movement, muscle
activity, heart rate, respiratory effort, air flow, and blood oxygen levels
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) - a test that measures the speed of
falling asleep. People without sleep problems usually take an average of
10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. Individuals who fall asleep in less than
5 minutes are likely to require some type of treatment for sleep disorders
Diagnostic tests usually are performed in a sleep center,
but new technology may allow some sleep studies to be conducted in the patient's
home.
Always consult your physician for more information.
|
