What is snoring and sleep apnea?
Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) are conditions that occur during sleep. When we fall asleep the muscles surrounding the airway relax and become uncoordinated. These muscles include the tongue, the soft palate (the roof of the mouth), and the sides of the throat, which include the tonsils. In some people there is not enough room in the airway for breathing after the throat muscles relax. This leads to snoring and airflow blockages that we call obstructive sleep apnea.
Why do some people get snoring or sleep apnea?
Imagine that the bones of the face are a box. The structures that make up your throat, like the tonsils and tongue, must fit inside the box and still leave enough room for you to breathe. In some people the box isn’t big enough, even with a normal-sized tongue or tonsils. In other people, the soft tissues are too large and there is not much room left for airflow. When the muscles keeping the airway open relax, they fall inwards and block airflow. Partial obstruction of airflow leads to vibrations that we hear as snoring. Even more obstruction leads to decreases in airflow that we call sleep apnea.
Why is sleep apnea bad for my health?
Decreases in airflow can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop. Oxygen level drops are stressful for the heart, brain, and other organs. Severe sleep apnea has been linked to many health problems including depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke risk, heart attack risk, and automobile accidents. Airflow decreases also cause disruptions from sleep because the brain needs to wake up to open up the airway. These repeated awakenings may cause some people to feel like sleep is not restful, leading them to be tired throughout the day.
How do I figure out if I have snoring or sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram (PSG). A PSG can be completed during an overnight stay in our sleep lab or in your own home using equipment we provide.
How do I know how bad my sleep apnea is?
OSA is classified as mild, moderate, or severe. People with more severe sleep apnea may have an increased risk of different health conditions. However, these categories do not match up very well with how sleepy OSA makes you feel -- some people have mild sleep apnea and they feel very tired, and some people have very severe sleep apnea and they do not feel sleepy.
If you have moderate or severe sleep apnea, you should carefully consider treating it, even if you do not feel sleepy.
Our team can help you understand your sleep apnea severity and treatment options.
