Too much snoring at night not only annoys your partner, but it also affects your health. Many people suffer from snoring, and half of them may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder.
OSA is a severe condition that obstructs your breathing, causing you to wake up so you can breathe again. On the other hand, regular snoring does not usually wake you up, and that is the difference between the OSA and snoring. Moreover, OSA affects your sleep, causing you to feel sleepiness during day time.
Visiting a clinic like iSmile Studio that helps with snoring is recommended if you are suffering from snoring. Below are some essential facts that you need to know about snoring.
Snoring is a common occurrence
Snoring is perfectly normal for most people. Your throat muscles relax as you age, and this causes snoring. Also, alcohol is a muscle relaxant; this is why most people who do not usually snore, start doing it when they sleep after drinking.
Abnormalities inside the throat and nose, such as enlarged tonsils and deviated septum, can also result in snoring. This deformation affects the narrow passageways in the throat and causes noisy breathing but without harmful effects.
Inflammation in the nose or throat due to allergies or other respiratory problems can also cause snoring.
When to consider snoring as harmful?
Snoring could be harmful to your health if you are suffering from any of these following symptoms:
- Morning headaches
- High blood pressure
- Waking up not feeling rested
- Recent weight gain
- Chest pain at night
- Observed pauses in breathing at night
- Decreased ability to concentrate or memory loss
- Waking up gasping for breath
If you are experiencing these symptoms, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. When you have this sleep disorder, the muscles in the back of your throat cannot keep the airway open. Obesity is also connected to sleep apnea. People who are suffering from this sleep disorder may develop high blood pressure, and the risk of cardiovascular disease is high.
OSA affects children too
While OSA affects mostly affects adults, one in 10 kids under ten years old snores when sleeping, but the snoring becomes less as they age. However, snoring might indicate a more severe condition, which includes pediatric obstructive sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea on children is normally associated with large tonsils. Large tonsils block the airway, making it difficult for kids to breathe. As a result, many children have undergone tonsillectomies each year due to sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea on children, if left untreated, may cause daytime sleepiness as well as behavioural problems such as difficulties at school. Children with this sleep disorder are prone to hyperactivity and have a hard time paying attention after a night of poor sleep.
Regular snoring might not affect your health, but it may keep your partner awake for the whole night. Obstructive sleep apnea, on the other hand, may cause danger to your health. Aside from the health issues it possesses, having trouble sleeping at night may also affect your daily activities, such as school and work.
Fortunately, sleep apnea and snoring can be treated by dental appliance or Continues Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. Clinics like iSmile Studio offers different ways to treat snoring and sleep apnea for kids and adults.
