Snoring And Other Sleep Disorders

Snoring is a pretty common problem. As much as 40% of the adult American populations experience some snoring.

However, few know that snoring can be an imminent sign of a sleep disorder.

There are diversities between normal snoring and other disorders, and the effect sleep disorders can have on your health are huge.

Sleep Disorder - Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a problem that is like an advanced form of snoring that can be very harmful to your health. A person suffering with this sleep disorder has obstacles of breathing lasting 10 seconds or longer while asleep, causing them to wake up frequently and harm brain cells due to lack of breath.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Sleep apnea symptoms include loud snoring, waking up during the night with a feeling that you are choking, insomnia, waking up gasping for air, waking up with headaches, issues with staying asleep, being overweight, waking up sweating, waking up with a feeling of not being refreshed, and having trouble staying awake during the day.

Sleep disorder sleep apnea is medically known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, is characterized by intense upper airway blockages that occur whilst asleep.

The airway may be blocked by a number of different things, such as large tonsils, excess tissue in the airway, a large tongue, obstruction of the nasal passages, or an abnormal jaw structure.

This syndrome can lead to depression, rapid weight gain, headaches, high blood pressure, frequent trips to the bathroom during the night, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty concentrating. Additionally, people with untreated obstructive sleep apnea run a higher risk of heart failure and stroke.

Sleep apnea is a potentially life threatening condition, which should not be treated lightly. It is important to do a sleep test, known as polysomnography, if you suspect you or someone you love is afflicted. This is the procedure used to diagnose sleep apnea. These tests are painless, and are often covered by insurance carriers.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea treatment is done in several ways, depending on the severity of the condition. Mild sleep apnea victims are often told to take such steps as losing weight or sleeping on their side.

It is vital to follow steps for having sleep apnea treatment, as it is an incapacitating condition that gets worse over time.

CPAP

A process known as a CPAP is performed for more severe cases of apnea. Standing for continuous positive airway pressure, a machine blows air into your nose with a nose mask, keeping the airway open and free of obstructions.

Bi-PAP Machine

A Bi-PAP machine is used to deliver air through the nose at two different pressures, with variations for inhaling and exhaling if the CPAP process does not successfully cure the apnea.

Sometimes surgery is necessary, if none of the above treatments work to heal this harmful disorder. There are several surgical procedures that can be performed, many of which are done to help increase the size of the upper airway.

These surgical procedures include clearing excess tissues or changing the jaw structure to better necessitate proper breathing. This is generally performed if the positive airway pressure treatments are unsuccessful.

Hopefully, you now know exactly what you need to know about sleep apnea, one of the most serious sleep disorders related to snoring.