If you snore, you probably don’t know it...unless your spouse has told you. And if your spouse has told you more than once, you may have found yourself sleeping alone.
Snoring can be a major cause of marital discord, but there’s an even more important reason to do something about it. “Snoring is often a sign of sleep apnea, a common disorder in which breathing stops for 10 seconds or longer numerous times during sleep each night. Sleep apnea in turn is a major risk factor for serious and even life-threatening health problems, including heart attack and stroke,” says Rick LaTurner, a registered polysomnographic technologist (RPSGT) specializing in sleep disorders at St. John’s.
Not all snorers have sleep apnea, but it is a good initial sign, particularly if the snoring is loud and often leads to choking, gasping and partial awakenings.
Snoring is basically noisy breathing during sleep, and it affects at least a third of Americans, becoming more frequent as people age. The sound occurs when air flows past relaxed muscle tissues in the throat, causing them to vibrate. The more narrow the passage, the louder the snoring.
Apnea means literally “lacking air,” and apnea occurs when tissues in the throat are so relaxed that they block passage of air. “When breathing becomes totally blocked, snoring stops for 10 seconds or longer and the person is forced awake by the lack of oxygen. As the airway is forced open with a loud snort, the person returns to sleep–and snoring–usually not remembering the brief awakening,” adds LaTurner.
In addition to being deprived of oxygen many times each night, the person with sleep apnea rarely gets a good night’s sleep and is at risk of falling asleep during the day–nodding off during an important business meeting or even falling asleep at the wheel.
“Other factors that can contribute to blockage of breathing passages include enlarged tonsils and adenoids, nasal polyps, a deviated septum in the nose, allergies or an upper respiratory infection. Excess weight, particularly if it leads to increased fatty tissue around the neck, can also cause crowding of throat tissues,” says LaTurner.
Obstructive sleep apnea, described above, is by far the most common kind, accounting for 90 percent of cases. In addition, there is central sleep apnea which is brought on when the brain fails to convey the proper signals regulating breathing during sleep. A combination of the two is known as mixed sleep apnea.
Snoring may not be a critical element in these other two types of sleep apnea. The result, however, is the same in terms of lost sleep and lack of oxygen.
“Oxygen deprivation–particularly with the sudden stops and starts characteristic of sleep apnea–can damage the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs. Persons with moderate to severe sleep apnea have been found to have impaired vascular function, which in turn can cause high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure,” says LaTurner.
Mild to moderate cases can often be helped through lifestyle changes. Smokers have a higher than average rate of sleep apnea, and excessive use of alcohol tends to relax muscles in the throat, causing snoring and relaxation of throat muscles. Sedatives have a similar effect. For the 80 percent of sleep apnea patients who are overweight, weight loss can decrease the risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Snoring is more common among back sleepers and can often be stopped merely by rolling over on your side.
“For more severe cases of obstructive sleep apnea, one approach involves surgery to remove tonsils, adenoids or excess tissue in the uvula (the fleshy triangle hanging from the back of the throat).”
“The most effective treatment for most patients is known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Through a mask placed over the nose during sleep, oxygen is forced continuously into the nasal passages. The pressure is adjusted so that it’s just enough to keep the throat from collapsing during sleep,” adds LaTurner.
If your spouse is complaining about your snoring or if you find yourself dozing off at inappropriate times, it may be a signal that you have at least some degree of sleep-disordered breathing. Your doctor can see that you get a proper diagnosis so that treatment begins before too much damage is done. Prompt action may not only spare you some marital discord; it may save your life.
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