What does snoring indicate?
Ever had a sleepless night because of your friend's/partner's snoring? I have! Well, snoring can indicate some serious issues that you might need to deal with like high blood pressure and all the consequences that come along (heart disease, stroke, etc.) or less serious like some obstructions like enlarged tonsils, or tissue etc.
Out of all the sleep disorders that we face as human beings, this has got to be one of the worst. I know of married couples that have to sleep in two different rooms because one snores to the point that the other can't sleep. Of course you can always wear earplugs, but who wants to sleep the rest of their life with those in their ears? Then there is always layering pillows over your head or purchasing a box fan to place at your head on the speed of high to "knock" out the noise from the one you love. How many of us have lain in bed at night staring at the ceiling getting madder by the moment while the one next to us or in the same room as us is deep in slumber to the tune of their own melody?
Snoring is simply occurs when air flows past tissue in your throat that is relaxed; this causes the tissue to vibrate when you breath making a hoarse or harsh sound.
I have researched and discovered that we should actually be concerned for the one who keeps us up at night; snoring can indicate a serious health condition. Many times it is a sign that sleep apnea is present; sleep apnea is a "disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called apneas lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and occurs repeatedly throughout sleep. The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal, a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4% or greater, or both arousal and desideration." Wikipedia
Polysomnogram is the name of the sleep test that helps diagnosing apnea. Not all apnea are clinically significant; it's levels become problematic if they occur more than five times per hour - that includes any type of apnea.
There is more than one sleep apnea types and they have been categorized in three separate forms: central apnea, obstructive apnea, and complex apnea (which represents a combination of the first two).
In central sleep apnea breathing is broken up by the lack of effort and this occurs in 0.4% of the cases. The obstructive sleep apnea is the most encountered type found in 84% of the patients and it is due to a physical blockage of the airflow in spite of effort.
The rest of 15% are represented by the mixed sleep apnea, where there is a switch from central apnea to obstructive apnea's characteristics during sleep.
The person with sleep apnea doesn't usually realize he has it, regardless of the apnea type he might suffer from. The individual doesn't know or find out about it; it is usually others that can witness these episodes. These symptoms can be present for long periods of time (years on end) without being identified, the only things that the person might notice and be disturbed with, are fatigue the daytime sleepiness.
Another concern for one with sleep apnea is high blood pressure or hypertension. Controlled studies have shown a definite link between people who snore and the presence of high blood pressure. However, one who does not have sleep apnea but snores could still have high blood pressure caused from the snoring. When one snores, it disturbs their cardiovascular system such as their heart rate and blood pressure. This leads to heart disease, strokes etc.
Sleep apnea is not limited to only adults; it can also be present in infants and children; it has no respect of age. How does one know if their baby or child has sleep apnea? Simply listen. If your child breathes nosily on a continuous basis it is very possible that could have sleep apnea. Another indication is consistent sleepiness during the daytime. Snoring could be a possible warning or symptom of something else that is very serious. Brain tumors are many times accompanied by snoring.
Sometimes snoring can be caused by enlarged tonsils that can be removed or there may be a problem with ones adenoids which is simply a mass of throat tissue at the back of ones nose and throat that could possibly limit breathing if the tissue is enlarged.
However, snoring can be alleviated and it is good to know where you stand in this regard; it can be an indicator or a warning, helping you fight other potential serious conditions.
Snoring is simply occurs when air flows past tissue in your throat that is relaxed; this causes the tissue to vibrate when you breath making a hoarse or harsh sound.
I have researched and discovered that we should actually be concerned for the one who keeps us up at night; snoring can indicate a serious health condition. Many times it is a sign that sleep apnea is present; sleep apnea is a "disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called apneas lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and occurs repeatedly throughout sleep. The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal, a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4% or greater, or both arousal and desideration." Wikipedia
Polysomnogram is the name of the sleep test that helps diagnosing apnea. Not all apnea are clinically significant; it's levels become problematic if they occur more than five times per hour - that includes any type of apnea.
There is more than one sleep apnea types and they have been categorized in three separate forms: central apnea, obstructive apnea, and complex apnea (which represents a combination of the first two).
In central sleep apnea breathing is broken up by the lack of effort and this occurs in 0.4% of the cases. The obstructive sleep apnea is the most encountered type found in 84% of the patients and it is due to a physical blockage of the airflow in spite of effort.
The rest of 15% are represented by the mixed sleep apnea, where there is a switch from central apnea to obstructive apnea's characteristics during sleep.
The person with sleep apnea doesn't usually realize he has it, regardless of the apnea type he might suffer from. The individual doesn't know or find out about it; it is usually others that can witness these episodes. These symptoms can be present for long periods of time (years on end) without being identified, the only things that the person might notice and be disturbed with, are fatigue the daytime sleepiness.
Another concern for one with sleep apnea is high blood pressure or hypertension. Controlled studies have shown a definite link between people who snore and the presence of high blood pressure. However, one who does not have sleep apnea but snores could still have high blood pressure caused from the snoring. When one snores, it disturbs their cardiovascular system such as their heart rate and blood pressure. This leads to heart disease, strokes etc.
Sleep apnea is not limited to only adults; it can also be present in infants and children; it has no respect of age. How does one know if their baby or child has sleep apnea? Simply listen. If your child breathes nosily on a continuous basis it is very possible that could have sleep apnea. Another indication is consistent sleepiness during the daytime. Snoring could be a possible warning or symptom of something else that is very serious. Brain tumors are many times accompanied by snoring.
Sometimes snoring can be caused by enlarged tonsils that can be removed or there may be a problem with ones adenoids which is simply a mass of throat tissue at the back of ones nose and throat that could possibly limit breathing if the tissue is enlarged.
However, snoring can be alleviated and it is good to know where you stand in this regard; it can be an indicator or a warning, helping you fight other potential serious conditions.
Like This Article?
Follow:
Post Comment