Sleep Apnea and Snoring

It is commonly thought that loud snoring can be the indicator of Sleep Apnea. This is not always as it seems. Yes, loud snoring may well be one of the symptoms of sleep apnea but this is not always the case.

If you feel that there is a chance that you may be suffering with sleep apnea and you have a husband/wife/partner or anyone who can observe you while you sleep, thay may well be able to help you diagnose.

If possible, ask the person to keep a tally of the number of times any interruption happens in your breathing pattern while you are sleeping. Signs your helper should be looking for are choking, lack of breath, gasping or stopping breathing entirely for short periods.

And if you can not find anyone to watch you sleep, record or film yourself sleeping and observe the playback for any of these signs.

Males over 40 and who are considered to be overweight are the likely candidates of sleep apnea disorder. If you think you may have Sleep Apnea, seek medical advice with a qualified person such as a doctor or GP. They should be able to check for any kind of obstructions in your airways and if the results are inconclusive, you may need to attend  a sleep clinic where you can be closely monitored whilst sleeping.  

A common treatment for sleep apnea is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP for short.
A mask connected to a machine is put over your mouth and/or nose to assist in clearing your airways. As you are sleeping, it will provide a steady stream of continuous pressurised air which will keep your  airways open.

A more extreme approach for more difficult cases, surgery can be used to correct the problems with the airways of the nose and mouth. There is even a surgical procedure to reconstruct the jaw  to line up the air passages.

But what about simpler self help options which you can do yourself? The first and most common is to simply lose weight. This alone can help reduce the size of any excess tissue which is a common factor in the blockage of airways.

Another thing you can do to help is to reduce your intake of alcohol and tobacco. Also, sedatives can cause problems.

But the most important thing is to do SOMETHING. Doing nothing is not an option when it comes to sleep apnea.

As always, before taking on any major decisions, speak with your doctor. They will be able to best advice you on the most effective course of action for your particular case