| Do you snore loudly? |
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Snoring is no laughing matter. Loud snoring can be a sign that something is seriously wrong with your breathing during sleep. Snoring can indicate that the airway is not fully open, and the distinctive sound of snoring comes from efforts to force air through the narrowed passageway. An estimated 10% to 30% of adults snore. In the majority of cases, snoring has no serious medical consequences. For an estimated 5% of people however, extremely loud night snoring is the first indication of a potentially life-threatening disorder: obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
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| There is more than one pattern of abnormal breathing in OSAS. Narrowing of the throat can be complete or partial, but lead to the same consequence: repetitive disruption of sleep. Obstructive apnea and hypopnea may be accompanied by lack of oxygen. If you have OSAS, you may not get enough oxygen during sleep and probably don't sleep soundly. You may suffer daytime sleepiness that affects your work and/or social activities, and may even lead to car accidents. OSAS can also put you at risk for high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attack, or stroke. Snoring could be an indication for a visit to your healthcare professional. He or she may suggest a series of studies at a sleep disorder center. Fortunately, sleep specialists are now able to detect and diagnose breathing disorders in their earlier, more treatable stages. Proper treatment can prevent or reverse the potentially life-threatening results of OSAS. |
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| Abnormal Sleep |
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What Causes OSAS?
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| When you sleep all of your body's muscles relax more than they do during waking hours. This doesn't cause problems for most people, but in some people with occluded airways, this relaxation collapses the airway further and interferes with breathing. While most people with OSAS have no apparent physical flaw that interferes with their brathing during sleep, some physical conditions can play a role. A smaller-than-normal jaw, large tongue, enlarged tonsils, or tissues that partially block the entrance to the airway can be factors. Sometimes several of these conditions are present in the same person. Alcohol, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers taken at bedtime also reduce muscle tone and can make the throat more likely to collapse. Some people with OSAS may actually sleep worse when they take a sleeping pill. |
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Normal Sleep
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