When snoring means more than just noise

When snoring means more than just noise
By TTSH – March 8th, 2011

By Dr. Chong Yaw Khian

You notice your partner snores heavily soon after falling asleep and the sound gets louder throughout the night. Occasionally, he might even startle you awake with a loud snort or gasp, as if there is a difficulty in breathing.
In the day, your partner might also complain that he’s feeling tired and sleepy. You may also notice your partner is more irritable and forgetful. After a period of time, you too, feel tired and frustrated from being woken up from your partner’s snoring. The effect in the long run can, nonetheless, be detrimental to your relationship not forgetting the health of your partner.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
Chances are your partner is suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This is a condition in which pauses in breathing (apnea) occur during sleep because the airway has become narrowed or blocked. This can result in a reduction in blood oxygen saturation.

In healthy individuals, the airway remains open during sleep to let air pass through.

However, people with OSA have a narrower airway and when the muscles in their upper throat relax during sleep, the airway collapses and hence breathing can pause. Other factors that could compromise the airway include large tonsils and adenoids in children, large neck or collar size (17 inches or more in men and 16 inches or more in women) and large tongue or certain shapes of the palate or airway which can cause the airway to collapse easily.

Not aware
Most people with OSA are not aware they have such a condition. Often, family members witness these periods of apnea. People with OSA suffer from restless sleep. They wake up with a sense of un-refreshing sleep and can feel tired throughout the day. This is also called Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). Other symptoms an OSA patient can experience include — falling asleep while working, reading, or watching TV; feeling irritable, grumpy or impatient; morning headaches; being forgetful and increased urination at night. Because of EDS, people with sleep apnea have also increased risk of motor accidents on the road and industrial accidents.

Untreated sleep apnea may lead to or worsen cardiovascular diseases such as heart arrhythmias, heart failure, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunction and stroke. The good news is that there is help for OSA sufferers. The treatment goal is to keep the throat airway open so that breathing will not stop during sleep.

Treatment
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is now regarded as the first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in most people. It is a system of delivering positive pressure to the airway thereby keeping them open throughout the sleep. CPAP is delivered by a machine with a tight-fitting facemask. However, many patients cannot tolerate CPAP therapy. Good follow-up and support from a sleep center can often help overcome any problems in using CPAP. Surgery is another option to treat OSA. This is an alternative solution to patient who are unable to tolerate CPAP. Numerous surgical options are available and the appropriate surgery depends on the patient’s profile as well as the severity of the OSA. Patients are also recommended to adopt certain lifestyle changes such as weight control and avoiding alcohol/sedatives during bedtime. Avoiding sleeping on the back may also relieve symptoms of sleep apnea in some people.

Individuals who snore habitually should see their doctor, as the doctor can help them find solutions to this noisy problem. In the long run, they will be healthier and the entire family will thank them for the peace and quiet they get throughout the night.

The writer is a Consultant at Department of Othorhinolaryngology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Quoted: http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2011/03/08/when-snoring-means-more-than-just-noise/