What Your Snoring Might Be Trying To Tell You
You may have brushed off your loud snoring, thinking it’s normal and happens to everyone, but did you know it may be a sign of a health problem? Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops repeatedly during your sleep. It can become serious to the point of causing other health complications. Loud snoring and constant waking during the night are just two of the symptoms of sleep apnea. The causes and risk factors range from genetics and health conditions to lifestyle habits.
How Do You Know If You Have It?
The symptoms of sleep apnea can be related to other causes, which can make it difficult to diagnose this disorder. If most of these symptoms sound familiar to you, however, it may be time to speak with us:
Common symptoms include:
- Breathing stops during sleep
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- Grinding your teeth during sleep, also known as bruxism
- Insomnia
- Chronic daytime sleepiness and fatigue
- Poor concentration
- Irritability
- Loud snoring
- Noticing that you gasp for air during sleep
- Waking up with a headache
What Causes Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles relax while sleeping, causing the airway to narrow and reduce air flow and lowering the oxygen level in your blood.
This form of sleep apnea can be caused by factors like:
- Obesity: Excess weight can make the neck circumference thicker, which narrows the airway and obstructs regular breathing.
- Genetics: A family history of sleep apnea increases a patient’s risk of having it.
- Alcohol or sedatives: Substances that relax throat muscles increase sleep apnea episodes.
- Smoking: Smoking causes inflammation in the upper airway.
- Nasal congestion: A congested nose due to allergies or anatomical problems makes it more difficult to breathe.
Good quality sleep is important to maintaining your healthy daily routine. When your sleeping patterns are interrupted due to a disorder like sleep apnea, you risk developing other complications like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or liver problems. Sleep apnea shouldn’t be ignored.
If you are concerned about sleep apnea symptoms, please call our Canandaigua office to schedule a consultation today.
