According to the National Institute of Health, sleep apnea affects more than 12 million Americans. Many are not even aware they have it until the symptoms cause them problems with work or driving. Spouses of those suffering from it often notice the early symptoms, but they often think a little snoring is nothing to worry about. What is sleep apnea? Apnea is the Greek word for “without breathâ€. There are three basic types of sleep apnea. * Obstructive sleep apnea-this is where the apnea is caused by a blockage or obstruction in the airway. It is usually the soft tissue in the back of the throat that collapses and then closes while the person is sleeping * Central sleep apnea- this is where, even though the airway may not be blocked, the brain still fails to signal the muscles to breath * Mixed-is simply a combination of the two types listed above. Who is At Risk? What Are the Symptoms? Older obese men have an increased risk, but as many as 40% with obstructive sleep apnea are not obese. A large tongue, a narrow airway, nasal obstruction, or some shapes of jaw and palate, or those that have had dental extractions seem to have an increased risk. A larger neck or collar size is also strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. The classic example of someone with obstructive sleep apnea starts off with episodes of heavy snoring that begin soon after falling asleep. The snoring often gets louder, followed by long silent periods where they are not breathing (apnea). Then suddenly a loud snort and gasp for air will seemingly snap the person back into repeating the same pattern all over again. Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Adults: * Heavy snoring * Stops breathing while sleeping and suddenly snorts or gasps * Restless sleeping * Mouth breathing during sleeping * Dry mouth upon waking up * Excessively sleepy during the day * Morning headaches * High blood pressure * Depression * Severe anxiety * Temperamental behavior * Poor job performance * Impotence * Short-term memory loss Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Children: * Snoring * Hyperactivity * Development delay * Poor concentration * Bed wetting * Nightmares and/or night terrors * Headaches * Restless sleeping * Obesity * Large tonsils * Noisy breather * Chronic runny nose * Frequent upper respiratory infections and ear aches As you read the list of symptoms for the child you may have noticed similarities in this list and the symptoms of someone with ADD/ADHD. According to a study in 1997, 81% of snoring children diagnosed with ADD/ADHD could have the ADD/ADHD issues resolved if they simply addressed the snoring issue. Startling Statistics You Cannot Ignore * When the person with sleep apnea is not breathing, the oxygen level in their blood falls. Oxygen-deprivation can cause pulmonary hypertension leading to right-sided heart failure. * People with sleep apnea have an 8 times greater chance of auto accident. * It’s estimated that 40% of truck drivers have sleep apnea. Is this who we want driving the 18 wheelers on our highways? My guess is they go undetected since no one observes them sleeping to tell them. * People with sleep apnea are 23 times more likely to have a heart attack and twice a likely as a smoker! * Approximately 50% of the patients who are prescribed the CPAP machine (CPAP=Continuous Positive Air Pressure) actually wear it nightly. What You Can Do Anytime you are around others sleeping, take note of anyone displaying any of the symptoms listed above. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings, you need to tell them. Don’t ignore the symptoms and tell yourself it’s nothing to worry about. It is something to worry about. The person doesn’t know they’re doing it. They have to rely on someone else to tell them. If they deny it, record them. Be gentle when talking about it with them, but express your concern. Show them this article. If you recognize any of these symptoms in yourself, or if someone has told you that you display some of these symptoms, you owe it to yourself to have it checked out. The dangers of undiagnosed sleep apnea are too great to ignore.
Most of us want to learn how to stop snoring because of how it affects others. But have you ever given a thought about how your snoring is affecting you? You might be surprised to learn that when it comes to snoring, the person who is most at risk is the one who is doing the snoring. Stop SnoringWho’s The Victim? Oddly enough, when people learn how to stop snoring, they don’t think about what snoring is actually doing to them as individuals. This is probably because the person who snores is often not awakened by their own snoring- it’s the people around them who complain. So in many cases, the person who snores feels a certain amount of guilt. They don’t even think about how the snoring is harming them. First of all, snoring is not some kind of eccentric quirk that you inherit from your father. It’s actually your body telling you that it’s having trouble getting air into your system. Either your muscles have become too flabby and weak or your airways are being constricted. This could be due to a number of causes, such as obesity or sleeping medication. It’s imperative that you know what your snoring triggers are before learning how to stop snoring. Getting Specific If you’re still not completely convinced on the negative effects of snoring, here are some real facts to consider. Studies have shown that people who snore are four times more likely to get a stroke than non-snorers. Does this seem too far-fetched to be true? Not when you look at what snoring does at the root level. Snoring puts immense pressure on the body, since your body literally struggles to take in oxygen. This causes high blood pressure, putting extra stress on your carotid arteries, thus making you more susceptible to strokes. Hypertension and heart conditions are also more common in people who snore. Contrary to popular opinion, a person who snores isn’t getting a good night’s sleep at all. They might not wake up, but their body is continuously struggling to breathe. This is why many snorers wake up feeling tired or groggy. It’s not uncommon for snorers to feel sleepy during the day as well, making it a risk to be behind the wheel of any vehicle. Researchers have actually concluded that for every thirty minutes a person snores, they don’t breathe at all for almost ten seconds. This can have devastating effects on important parts of the body like the brain. All this should be more than enough reason to learn how to stop snoring. Stop Snoring Snoring problems can cause daytime drowsiness and irritability due to poor sleep. Your work as well as relationships could become affected if you don’t do anything to stop it. Remember that snoring is not just an irritating habit- it’s your body telling you that you need to take action fast. Learning how to stop snoring might not only be helpful to others, it could save your own life as well.
Studies show that about 10% or more children snore during their sleep. Children who are three years or older more likely to snore during their Deep Stage of Sleep (that is when they are in deepest sleep and is very difficult to wake up at this stage, if being awaken at the Deep Stage of Sleep, they can be confused and disoriented for a few minutes