Sleep Apnea and Snoring
If you snore, it may be due to a minor reason such as a cold or seasonal allergies. However, snoring can be the sign of a much more serious condition, known as sleep apnea. Snoring is essentially a symptom of sleep apnea, but if you are a chronic snorer you should get yourself checked out by your physician.
Snoring happens when there is some sort of obstruction in your airway which prevents air from flowing freely. This often causes vibrations in the throat, and we hear it as snoring. Snoring occurs where the tongue and the upper part of the throat meet the uvula and the soft palate. Many things can cause snoring, such as a relaxed throat due to alcohol or fatty deposits putting pressure on the neck. This type of snoring is known as primary snoring.
Primary snoring isn�t totally harmless. If you have some trouble breathing whilst sleeping you may have or be developing Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome. This can turn into sleep apnea, and also become problematic because you may never feel rested. Some people find themselves so tired during the day they need frequent naps or fall asleep at dangerous times such as when operating heavy machinery.
Let�s move on to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person actually stops breathing a number of times during a night. Breath can pause for ten seconds or longer, causing the heart to work harder to get oxygen to the body�s cells. While sleep apnea in of itself isn�t harmful, in other words you body will always start you breathing again, there are both short and long term effects. In the short term, a person with sleep apnea is often tired, irritable, and can suffer from headaches. In the long term sleep apnea can cause heart-related problems such as heart attack and stroke. This is why anyone who snores should get themselves checked out by a doctor.
If you don�t have sleep apnea you still need to take care of your snoring. If you only snore on back try putting something in your night shirt to make it uncomfortable to sleep on your back. You should also look at your eating and exercise habits. A few small changes in your lifestyle, such as cutting back on alcohol and exercising may be just what you need to stop snoring.
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