If I snore, does it mean that I suffer from sleep apnea?

Oct 28

The loud and raspy sound that people make while they’re asleep is known as snoring. Although some might pass it off as a laughing matter, it’s not one. It’s a serious medical condition that over 90 million Americans have.

Snoring can also be part of a bigger medical condition called “sleep apnea”. A sleeping disorder that disrupts the life of those who are going through it. Snoring might seem like an inconvenient issue, but it’s so much more than that. Many studies have shown that snoring can lead to obstructive sleep apnea, which is known to cause tons of problems in someone’s life.

Although it’s a progressive condition, it’s still one to look out for if you have kids. It doesn’t matter if you’re a regular snorer or an intermittent one, you should still consult a medical professional to fix your snoring problem. Being a progressive condition, it’s more common in aged people. Although the noise coming from the throat, disturbing it while sleeping is the primary symptom of snoring, there are some more that you might not know about:

Sleepiness during the daytime and being restless.
Restlessness while trying to sleep or sleeping.
Various problems with the intake of breath during sleep, cause it to stop.
Sore throat in the morning
Various issues concerning the brain like a loss in memory and concentration, as well as headaches.
Constant chest pain when going to sleep.
High blood pressure, can lead to various heart diseases.

Snoring is common in people of any age or sex. Of course, like most medical conditions, some factors increase someone’s likelihood of getting them. These factors were found to increase the chances of someone snoring:

A blocked or narrow airway passage in the throat.
Some issues with the nasal passage resulting in the blockage of the airway.
Obesity or people with diabetes.
Alcoholics, or people who drink alcohol before sleeping.
A family history of snoring.

How Does Snoring Work?

Snoring is extremely common. Its prevalence is still astonishing. According to a survey, “Snoring is estimated to affect 57% of men and 40% of women in the United States.” You might be wondering how can such a simple thing be so bad. Well, it is and it’s proven. Snoring, in simple words, is caused by various reasons. The most common cause of people snoring is that the soft tissues in the throat were damaged. The soft tissues, having collapsed, vibrate which messes with the breathing system, causing problems in one’s sleep.

People might not consider a simple condition like snoring to be a health threat, but they should. Medical professionals all over the world advise snorers to get treated right away before snoring causes further complications in life. The sound that comes from the throat when a person is snoring is not a laughing stock, it’s a cry for help. Snorers have trouble intaking oxygen through their airways hence why they breathe through the mouth. In doing so, their throat expands its reach and inhales/exhales as well as it can.

The sound caused by snoring most often arises from the palate but can involve other soft tissues of the throat. Intermittent snoring is very common and is generally not bothersome. When it becomes persistently loud and chronic it may lead to severe disruptions in the quality of life and social problems.

What Snoring Causes:

Snoring might not seem like it’s a serious health condition, but often it’s seen as something friends joke about after they realize one of them was snoring during a sleepover. From waking up out of nowhere in the middle of the night to facing problems with your bed partner, here are a few reasons why getting your snoring problem treated is the move for you.

Sleep Deprivation:

People who snore will occasionally find themselves up in the middle of the night, feeling chest pain and a sore throat. This pain will disrupt their sleeping schedule and they’ll find themselves sleeping during the day or feeling lazy and tired all the time. Since snoring can be linked to many psychological problems, it’s the best one to get their health back on track before it gets worse.

Problems In A Relationship:

Most couples whether they’re married or not, spend their lives together in one bed. They share their routine in the same bed and the same schedule. Snoring can cause problems for the person snoring as well as their bed partners, often being a good reason for a failed relationship. In such a competitive world, getting 8 hours of sleep is considered a blessing. This blessing can be a curse for snorers, as they’ll not only be disturbing their sleep schedule, but their bed partner’s as well.

Social Embarrassment:

Snorers can constantly complain all they want about their problem, but it won’t matter until they get it fixed. These complaints can be heard from their bed partners as well, which leaves the snorer embarrassed and distressed. Sleeping might just be the easiest thing humans do, but for snorers, that’s not the case. So rather than having to feel social embarrassment, get treated.

It’s also a known fact that people who sleep on their backs are more likely to snore than people who sleep on their sides. Gravity’s not the kindest of friends when it comes to snorers. Since it collapses the tissues and muscles in the airway, snorers might not be able to sleep on their backs anymore if they want to avoid snoring.

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