SNORING & SLEEP APNEA

Did you know that snoring and sleep apnea are often related?

Loud snoring is a primary symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA– a condition that causes a person to stop breathing for up to a minute, many times throughout the night. Without proper treatment, OSA can cause mild to severe symptoms and even premature death.

If your own health isn’t reason enough to find out whether you have sleep apnea, think about this: your snoring could harm the health of your spouse. According to the CDC, the potential for diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and dementia increase when a person doesn’t rest for seven or more hours per night.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea causes the throat to close off during sleep. Every time this happens, you become short of breath and wake up so that you can resume normal breathing patterns. You may even be unaware of these episodes, as they are usually too short for you to remember. These disruptions can occur up to thirty times per hour – resulting in hundreds of interruptions to your sleep every single night!

Causes of Sleep Apnea

Patients of all ages may experience sleep apnea. Nevertheless, certain factors can increase your likelihood of developing this condition. These risk factors include:

Being overweight
Being male
Being older
A larger neck circumference or a larger tongue
Certain health conditions, such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, or asthma
Being a postmenopausal or pregnant woman
Chronic nasal congestion
Smoking
A family member with OSA

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

Snoring is one of the most frequent symptoms of sleep apnea. As your throat closes off, any air that gets through will cause loud vibrations. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, however. A common pattern for OSA patients is periods of snoring followed by short spells when breathing stops entirely.

Chronic fatigue is another common symptom of OSA – unsurprisingly since patients rarely enjoy a full night’s rest! Fatigue can manifest itself in various ways for different patients; you may experience irritability, the inability to concentrate, daytime sleepiness, and/or struggles at work or school.

Risks of OSA

In addition, sleep apnea increases your risk for other health conditions, often due to the lack of oxygen you take in at night. These include:

High blood pressure
Heart disease
An increased risk for heart attacks and strokes
Heart arrhythmia
Type II diabetes
Glaucoma
Problems recovering from surgery

Sleep Apnea Treatment

If, after evaluating your symptoms, Dr. Young determines that you do suffer from sleep apnea, he can treat your condition with an oral appliance. This custom-made device will fit securely and comfortably around your teeth to realign your jaw. As it does so, it will reposition the soft tissues in your throat, gently moving them out of the way of your breathing. If needed, the device can also reposition your tongue to prevent it from falling back into your throat.

Call Us Today for a Better Night’s Sleep

Don’t let sleep apnea diminish your health. Schedule a consultation at our Lafayette office by calling 337-237-6453. Should you suffer from OSA, Dr. Young can prescribe a comfortable night guard to reduce your snoring and completely eliminate apneic episodes, which is good news for both you and your sleeping partner.