HOUSTON -- (April 8, 2011) -- Is snoring keeping you or your significant other from getting a good night’s sleep? It could be a serious issue that needs your attention, according to a sleep expert at Baylor College of Medicine.
"Loud snoring, daytime sleepiness and waking up with a sore throat in the morning are all symptoms of sleep apnea," said Dr. Mary Rose, assistant professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at BCM.
Categories of sleep disorders
Sleep apnea is a respiratory sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep, generally speaking there are either complete pauses in breathing (apneas) or partial pauses causing disrupted breathing (hypopneas). A person is deemed to have sleep apnea when they have 5 or more of these pauses during the night.
This can result in feelings of depression and a reduction in concentration.
Common causes of sleep apnea
This condition gets worse as we get older and is more common in men than women, and if left untreated can result in high blood pressure, strokes or other heart problems. The night episodes can also result in a reduction in concentration levels with headaches being a common complaint.
These effects of sleep apnea can then result in reduced function during the day, especially bad for people at work.
Treatments
For bad cases of sleep apnea one of the most effective treatments is to use a positive pressure air machine, this pushes air in to the patients airway and prevents it from becoming obstructed during the night.
For more moderate to mild cases an oral device which ensures the airway stays open can work well. These devices work by gently pulling the lower jaw forwards; due to the connectivity of the muscles this in turn keeps the airway open. Our recommendation for this device is the Sleepwell Anti Snoring Device.
