Everybody does this occasionally, but for those who do it every time they sleep, it’s usually making someone else miserable. Whether you’re a simple snorer of having the much more serious problem of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), frequent snoring is a condition that calls for professional attention. That’s because your health depends on getting enough sleep. And if you or your partner snore consistently, or are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, one or both of you are not getting quality sleep – if any!
Know your snoring style
Basically, snoring is the sound that happens when tissues in the throat relax enough that they partially block the airway and vibrate. But it’s important to understand the difference between sleep apnea and snoring, as that is the first step to effective treatment of either condition. But they can have many common features and be called by the same names, and so maybe incorrectly treated as a result. Here are some of the features more common to each kind of snoring:
Simple (primary) snoring
- Depending on anatomy and other factors such as age, tonsils, obesity and alcohol consumption, the volume of snoring can vary from soft to loud, nightly to occasionally
- Temporary snoring bouts can occur during a cold, flu or allergy episode or during pregnancy
- Treatments range from lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, decrease in alcohol consumption and sleep position adjustments — to oral devices, nasal strips or even surgery
- Can have serious health effects
Serious sleep disorder snoring (Obstructive Sleep Apnea)
- Frequent loud snoring
- Pauses in breathing, from a few seconds to a minute
- Shallow breathing
- Gasping or choking
- Excessive restlessness while sleeping
- Sleepiness during the day
- May require a sleep study to diagnose
- Can have serious health effects
Get a snoring consultation
Snoring is not a problem that should be dismissed, self-diagnosed or inadequately treated. So if someone is nudging or elbowing you throughout the night, or if you’re the one doing the nudging and elbowing, you can get the information and treatment you need. Call Advanced Specialty Care today in Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk, Ridgefield or Southbury at 203-830-4700.