Everyone knows what snoring is but not many are familiar with sleep apnea.
A recent article I came across stated that snoring is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is not exactly correct.
The aim of this article is to dispel some of the misconceptions.
Just about everyone snores to some extent.
Even children and house pets like dogs snore occasionally.
Everyone snores but for different reasons.
Most of us don't think snoring is such a big deal unless it seriously affects our relationship with our partner.
So what is snoring? Essentially it is the sound of vibrating soft or flabby tissues in the soft palate, throat or nasal cavity when air flows over them while breathing during sleep.
What sometimes happens is the breathing is paused due to a narrowing of the airways, the body's reflex reaction rouses you out of your sleep so that you can resume the breathing rhythm.
This results in a gasping or choking loud snore.
The narrowing of the airways can be physiological or can be caused by disease or sickness.
Frequent loud snoring however especially if accompanied by a loud gasping or choking sound can be a sign of severe sleep apnea.
Most likely it can be OSA which is potentially a serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and the oxygen level in your blood drops.
These breathing interruptions known as apneas can typically last for 10 or more seconds and can happen up to a hundred times per night.
With apneas occurring up to a hundred times per night your body consequently loses that deep quality REM sleep that it requires and you wake up the next morning being sleep deprived, feeling tired, not rested and lacking energy.
Note however that not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores.
Central Sleep Apnea patients usually do not snore.
Some common misconceptions about snoring are: · You only snore if you sleep with your mouth open - you can snore even if you sleep with your mouth closed.
Closed mouth snoring indicates a problem with the tongue or tissues in your throat.
· Only elderly men snore - everyone snores to some extent, even children and pets.
· Snoring is sleep apnea - it doesn't equate to sleep apnea but it is a sign you can be having Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Note that CSA patients usually do not snore.
Some recommendations to reduce snoring: · Lose weight - this can help reduce fatty tissue on the soft palate or in the back of the throat.
· Clear blocked nasal passages - stuffy nose resulting from colds or allergies is a common cause of snoring.
Solving the root cause of the stuffy nose will unblock the nasal passages.
· Sleep position - experiment with different sleep positions.
Most snoring happen with people sleeping on their back.
A better alternative is sleeping on your side.
· Quit Smoking - smoking causes blockage to the airway passages by irritating membranes in the nose and throat.
· Avoiding alcohol or muscle relaxants a few hours before bedtime - alcohol and muscle relaxants relax the soft palate muscles which become flabbier causing blockage to the airway passage.
· Avoid having large meals especially close to bedtime.
Check out the website below for more information on snoring and OSA.
A recent article I came across stated that snoring is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is not exactly correct.
The aim of this article is to dispel some of the misconceptions.
Just about everyone snores to some extent.
Even children and house pets like dogs snore occasionally.
Everyone snores but for different reasons.
Most of us don't think snoring is such a big deal unless it seriously affects our relationship with our partner.
So what is snoring? Essentially it is the sound of vibrating soft or flabby tissues in the soft palate, throat or nasal cavity when air flows over them while breathing during sleep.
What sometimes happens is the breathing is paused due to a narrowing of the airways, the body's reflex reaction rouses you out of your sleep so that you can resume the breathing rhythm.
This results in a gasping or choking loud snore.
The narrowing of the airways can be physiological or can be caused by disease or sickness.
Frequent loud snoring however especially if accompanied by a loud gasping or choking sound can be a sign of severe sleep apnea.
Most likely it can be OSA which is potentially a serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and the oxygen level in your blood drops.
These breathing interruptions known as apneas can typically last for 10 or more seconds and can happen up to a hundred times per night.
With apneas occurring up to a hundred times per night your body consequently loses that deep quality REM sleep that it requires and you wake up the next morning being sleep deprived, feeling tired, not rested and lacking energy.
Note however that not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores.
Central Sleep Apnea patients usually do not snore.
Some common misconceptions about snoring are: · You only snore if you sleep with your mouth open - you can snore even if you sleep with your mouth closed.
Closed mouth snoring indicates a problem with the tongue or tissues in your throat.
· Only elderly men snore - everyone snores to some extent, even children and pets.
· Snoring is sleep apnea - it doesn't equate to sleep apnea but it is a sign you can be having Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Note that CSA patients usually do not snore.
Some recommendations to reduce snoring: · Lose weight - this can help reduce fatty tissue on the soft palate or in the back of the throat.
· Clear blocked nasal passages - stuffy nose resulting from colds or allergies is a common cause of snoring.
Solving the root cause of the stuffy nose will unblock the nasal passages.
· Sleep position - experiment with different sleep positions.
Most snoring happen with people sleeping on their back.
A better alternative is sleeping on your side.
· Quit Smoking - smoking causes blockage to the airway passages by irritating membranes in the nose and throat.
· Avoiding alcohol or muscle relaxants a few hours before bedtime - alcohol and muscle relaxants relax the soft palate muscles which become flabbier causing blockage to the airway passage.
· Avoid having large meals especially close to bedtime.
Check out the website below for more information on snoring and OSA.
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