WHY STOP SNORING?
Unless corrective action is taken, loud snoring lasts a lifetime with two consequences: the first is prolonged embarrassment accompanied with various social problems. The second and more serious is the possible development or the existence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a condition where you intermittently stop breathing during sleep.
Embarrassment
Your obnoxious snoring sound itself is not a health threat, but it is embarrassing. Your snoring is irritating to your wife, lover or partner. Often, because of snoring, spouses sleep in separate rooms.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
If you have sleep apnea, you stop breathing while you sleep. When you have sleep apnea, your tongue falls back into your throat, blocking your airway so air cannot flow in through your nose or mouth. Then the airway collapses and prevents airflow from reaching your lungs and bloodstream. This situation is like pressing a pillow over your face.
The cumulative effect of these obstructed breathing episodes is reduced blood oxygen levels to the brain. This condition forces you to remain in a light sleep, depriving you of REM (rapid eye movement, deep-sleep- stage) and preventing you from getting a proper night of sleep. If untreated, severe sleep apnea can lead to serious long-term consequences.
Symptoms Indicating Sleep Apnea
If you suffer from sleep apnea you may have hundreds of involuntary breathing pauses, called apneic episodes, per hour, each lasting 10 seconds or longer. You will usually snore between episodes, and then snort, gasp or choke when you begin breathing again.
Another symptom of sleep apnea is daytime somnolence. If you have these symptoms or if your snoring is excessively loud, you should immediately see a physician.
Results of sleep apnea
If you are an OSA sufferer, you will never get a “good nights sleep” because the repeated sleep interruptions will deprive you of necessary deep sleep. A lack of sleep leads to morning headaches, irritability, poor concentration, chronic daytime exhaustion, obesity, hypertension, frequent nocturnal urination and daytime sleepiness.
Daytime sleepiness and fatigue caused by sleep apnea has severe consequences, from job impairment to loss of life while driving a car. Furthermore, the results of improper sleep lead to long-term cardiovascular stress, cardiovascular failure or to stroke.