May 12, 2008 11:43 am
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Snoring and Sleep Apnea
By Sheri Chandler R.Psg.T., C.R.T.
SCRMC
Snoring!, it is not only disruptive to sleep, but it can also disrupt the sleep of your bed partner. It is estimated that about 30 percent of adults snore to some degree. Snoring indicates that the airway in your throat is not fully open and the undeniable roar of snoring will be present from air being forced through the small passage. Snoring in some can have serious consequence. In five out of 100 people, it can be a sign of a more serious disorder called obstructive sleep apnea(OSA).
People with OSA don’t breath normally at night because their airway collapses during sleep causing them to stop breathing. Imagine drinking through a straw and the straw collapses, this is exactly what happens in the airway of someone with OSA. Eventually, the brain(because of decreased oxygen) will slightly awaken the person enough to resume breathing again. People with OSA do not realize they do this, because the arousal is very brief. As a result, sleep is lightened and is less restorative than it should be. Patients are sleepy and fatigued regardless of how long they sleep. Most people with undiagnosed OSA, deny they have this problem, because they think they sleep all night long. They do not realize the quality of their sleep is very poor. OSA is serious and can trigger high blood pressure, stroke, heart attach or heart failure.
The signs and symptoms of OSA are very distinct. They are as follows:
1. Do you snore and have increased sleepiness during the day?
2. Do you fall asleep at an inappropriate time(during meetings, at stop lights)?
3. Do you wake during the night gasping for air or trying to catch your breath?
4. Do you wake with morning headaches?
5. Do you have short term memory loss?
6. Do you have mood swings, irritability an/or depression?
7. Do you awaken with a dry mouth?
8. Do you dream often and do you remember them?
If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you need to see a sleep specialist. Any of these symptoms can appear slowly and progressively over time. Many people mistake these symptoms as they are “just getting old” or they completely ignore them. It is usually a family member, coworker or employer that recognizes the person has a problem. A person may even loose their job because they are falling asleep at work. OSA is also a huge contributor to auto and on the job accidents.
For information on this topic or you think you may have OSA, please call South Central Regional Sleep Center @ 601-426-4530.
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Photos
Sheri Chandler