Snoring and Apnea -the Noisy Killer

Snoring is a problem for approximately 30% of the population and that percentage rises to 40% for middle aged people, however, even 5.6% of children snore. Twice as many men snore than women; however, after menopause that gap narrows. Typically short women who are overweight and have sinus problems are more apt to snore as compared to men. Sleep apnea is the greatest concern for a person who snores and may occur in as many as 20-40% of the adult snorers.

Some symptoms snorers have during the day are headaches, fatigue, irritability or moodiness, as they are not getting enough sleep at night. If you are snoring you are typically not dreaming, which can cause the irritability you feel the next day. There is some controversy about this in the medical community, however, you are paralyzed during your many short dreams throughout the night in most cases. Dreaming is said to help our mental health. Snoring is often a symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea occurs when your tongue, throat and jaw relax, which results in a blocked airway and your breathing stops.

Sleep apnea is a serious condition and can cause the following problems:

• Half of the people with sleep apnea have essential hypertension
• Sleep apnea patients are 6 times more likely to be involved in a car accident
• Heart disease, plaque build up and heart attacks (3% chance)
• Increased chance of a stroke (3%)
• Depression
• Diabetes

The National Traffic Safety Administration states drowsy driving causes 100,000 crashes annually with 1,550 fatalities

Some causes of snoring are alcohol consumption, being overweight, sleeping on your back, and taking some medications, like antihistamines and sleeping pills. Reaching middle age causes your throat to become narrower with decreased muscle tone. Men have narrower air passages than women, thus they are more likely to snore. Certainly nasal or sinus problems can cause men or women to snore. Being overweight is a cause of snoring as fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.

As snoring is a curable problem, try various remedies to eliminate the snoring until you find the one that works. Talk to your partner, as this is not something the snorer is doing intentionally, so do not take it personally.

Tips for the snorer to try:

• Lose weight, as even a small weight loss may decrease the snoring.
• Clear your nasal passages by a Neti pot, nasal decongestants or nasal strips to ease you breathing.
• Quit smoking.
• Establish a regular sleeping pattern and stick to the plan.
• Keep the air in your bedroom moist with a humidifier, as dry air irritates the throat.
• Elevate your head 4” as this may ease your breathing.
• Do not eat a large meal right before bed and dairy products can also cause more snoring.

Try the tennis ball trick. Put a tennis ball in a sock and pin it to the back of your pajamas so if they only snore on their back, this will keep them on their side.

• There are snore sprays that you use just before bedtime that are very effective.
• The stripes that you put across your nose are very effective for many people.
• There are sleep apnea pillows which should stop the snoring,
• Surgery for snoring is considered a last resort and is only tried if everything else fails. The most common surgery reduces the amount of tissue of the soft palate and/or removing the tonsils.

If you can’t stop snoring it is a good idea to see a health professional as you might be suffering from sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a breathing problem which can cause many health problems and should be addressed.

As for sleep apnea treatment, milder cases warrant life style changes, such as losing weight, and quitting smoking. For more serious apnea, CPAP masks are used which requires using a mask connected to a machine that delivers air pressure. Some people do find this method cumbersome, but it is very effective. There are also different adjustable devices which sense your airway pressure and automatically adjust the pressure. There are also oral appliances that keep your airway open. Dentists have a number of airway devices available.

As snoring is such a wide spread problem, yet curable it is certainly worth trying various solutions until you find one that works. As the person who is sleeping with the person that snores, listen for pauses in their breathing or choking sounds as they may have sleep apnea and need evaluation. I hope you have found this information useful if you are experiencing this problem. I hope you all sleep well tonight!

The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.