Heavy Snorers May Be At Risk for Sleep Apnea
Minh Nguyen
Sleep apnea literally means, "stop breathing during sleep," and that is
exactly what happens to thousands of people who are affected by the
disorder. Millions more are undiagnosed because their symptoms are
simply explained away as tiredness or other factors. If someone has
sleep apnea, a neurological problem causes soft tissues to repeatedly
block the airway during sleep, causing the sufferer to literally gasp
for air.
Symptoms and features of sleep apnea include: (1)Excessive sleepiness
during the day, lack of concentration, forgetfulness; (2) High blood
pressure; (3) Obesity; (4) Loud snoring, snorting or gasping;
(5) Irritability; (6) Depression; (7) Excessive sweating at night; (8)
Insomnia or restless sleep; and (9) Confusion upon wakening and morning
headaches
Usually a partner recognizes symptoms before the patient, because the
person sharing a room is all too aware of the loud snoring, a sudden
snort or gasp for air, and constant restlessness. Someone with sleep
apnea can actually stop breathing for about 10 seconds at a time, up to
400 times in one night!
Sleep apnea can be attributed to physical features, such as a receding
chin or large neck, and external factors, such as use of sleeping
pills, obesity, nighttime alcoholic beverages, heartburn and high
altitudes.
The facts of sleep apnea are: (1) An estimated 18-25 million people have
sleep apnea; (2) Less than one million people realize it; (3) Probably
30-40 million people have some kind of sleep disorder and most are
unaware of it; (4) Sleep disorders add 15.9 billion to the total health
care bill in the United States; (5) Severe sleep apnea sufferers stop
breathing more than 50 times per hour; (6) 10% of men of working age,
2% of women and 3% of children have sleep apnea; (7) Obese children are
four times as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than children of
average weight; (8) African-American children are 3½ times more at risk
than children of other races; (9) 56,000 automobile crashes stem
annually from driver fatigue; and (10) Drivers with sleep disorders
often react slower than drivers slightly above the legal alcohol limit.
You are more at risk if you are: (1) African American; (2) Living in a
rural area; (3) Between 40 and 65 years old; (4) A smoker; (5) Drink
alcohol at night; and (6) Diabetic.
Consequences:
There are serious consequences to ignoring this potentially
life-threatening disorder. If untreated, your risk of heart attack,
heart disease and stroke is higher. The risk of accidents is also
increased because if you drive or operate machinery, you may not be as
focused as you could be after a restful sleep.
How to diagnose sleep apnea:
Most physicians are not trained extensively in sleep disorders and do
not usually focus on them. You should be aware of the symptoms, and if
you believe you or someone you love may have this problem, contact our
office or your physician. A sleep test is usually performed to monitor
the extent of the problem. Additionally, a special questionnaire may
help determine whether the symptoms indicate sleep apnea.
Relief for the chronic snorer:
If you are not diagnosed with sleep apnea, as a habitual snorer you may
be able to receive help with an anti-snoring dental device. There are
many different devices available to you. This pliable plastic appliance
should be carefully fitted by us to ensure it will stay in place while
you sleep.
For more information, click the following link:
http://www.softdental.com/about_services.html
SoftDental (website:
http://www.softdental.com ) is Houston's Premier
Laser, Family, and Cosmetic dentistry. Dr. Minh Nguyen is one of the
America's Top Dentists.
See Also:
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