Is Snoring Dangerous ... - modernhealthandfitness.com ? Fitness

By Elspeth Raisbeck, on September 18th, 2011

Apart from the kicks, punches and glares you get from a frustrated and tired bed partner, there are no health issues related to snoring itself.? However if snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea ? where you stop breathing for short periods while you sleep ? this can be more serious.

During sleep apnea a person stops breathing for 10 seconds or more and if this happens more than 10 times every hour, doctors say it is ?clinically significant?, which means it can affect your health.?

You stop breathing because the soft palate and/or tongue are floppy and bulky at the back of the mouth and fall into the airway, blocking it.? The brain detects that you?ve stopped breathing and wakes you for a moment, which unblocks the airway.

What are the health problems caused by sleep apnea?

If you have symptoms of:

• Constant tiredness
• Depression
• Erectile dysfunction or loss of libido
• More accidents in the car or at work
• Memory problems
• High blood pressure
• Morning headaches
• Heart rhythm problems or heart failure

Sleep apnea may cause them or contribute and make them worse.? You should talk to your doctor about this.

But how do I know if I have sleep apnea?

• If you are aware, or your bed partner says you snore very loudly and/or says you have episodes where you struggle to breathe or seem to be choking
• If you have times when you stop breathing for short periods (again, a bed partner may be aware of this)
• If you wake with headaches most or every morning

You probably have sleep apnea.

Tests that will confirm this are done by specialists ? either sleep specialists or Ear Nose and Throat specialists.

Polysomnography is a sleep study done when you sleep in a special lab.? The lab has a comfortable bed in a room that has special monitoring equipment so your doctors can see what happens to you as you sleep.

Another test that uses a small camera put into your nose and mouth sees what happens to your anatomy as you sleep and if/where there is a blockage of the airway.? You are sedated for this test and it?s often done before surgery for sleep apnea.

What can be done about sleep apnea?

There are natural ways of helping snoring and sleep apnea which are good if you have mild sleep apnea.? Also look here if you aren?t yet sure if you have sleep apnea or simply snore.

CPAP may be recommended by your specialist.

Surgery for sleep apnea is another solution, although it doesn?t always work permanently.

Comments are closed.

Source: http://modernhealthandfitness.com/is-snoring-dangerous/

pittsburgh steelers cleveland browns cincinnati bengals colts colts tampa bay buccaneers indianapolis colts