Snoring can be not only an ailment, but also a symptom of an illness. The research clearly shows that snorers make it difficult for others and… themselves! They are more often sleepy and tired - everything is to blame for sleep apnea. This, in turn, leads to cerebral hypoxia, the development of hypertension and even a heart attack. How to cure snoring?

Snoringis known as a breathing disorder. It negatively affects the quality of sleep, as well as the functioning of the entire body - it can result in very dangerous complications, the most dangerous of which is obstructive sleep apnea. This is how a group of disorders is defined, leading to the occurrence of hypoxic states during sleep and numerous, unconscious awakenings.

Snoring promotes fatigue during the day - people who have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea are sleepy and distracted during the day. They get irritated much more easily, they are also sleepy and they like to take a nap.

Contents:

  1. Snoring - what is it?
  2. Snoring - anatomical defects
  3. Snoring - diagnosis
  4. Snoring - what kind of snoring test?
  5. Snoring - sleep apnea diagnosis
  6. Snoring - ways to sleep well
  7. Snoring - treatment

Snoring - what is it?

Snoring - what exactly is it? Where does the noise come from? During sleep, the throat constricts and the flaccid walls of the upper respiratory tract vibrate when set in motion by the flowing air. A small gap is created that allows us to breathe normally in our sleep. When the airways are obstructed, it becomes difficult to draw air into the lungs. A person who snores has his mouth open and sounds come out of it.

And sleep apnea? If the snorer cannot draw air for a moment, the brain receives information that something is wrong - the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood increases. Additional respiratory muscles are stimulated - the muscles of the chest and diaphragm. This causes you to inhale very sharply after a short apnea. This sleep apnea can last up to a minute.

Doctors assure that short-term pauses in breathing are normal and happen to almost all people. The only problem isif they happen more than 10 times in an hour. Then they mean the occurrence of sleep apnea, and it is most often reported by the sick partners,

Every tenth person snores, of which 80 percent. it's men. As it turns out, 60 percent. snoring of patients is a physiological reflex and is not harmful to he alth. However, 40 percent. - may be dangerous.

The intensity of sounds coming from a snoring person's mouth reaches up to 90 decibels. And almost 13 million Poles snore (CBOS report). In turn, 1.5 million of us suffer from sleep apnea. It is also worth adding that the partner of a snorer loses even 1.5 hours of sleep during the night because of the partner's sounds.

Studies have confirmed the relationship between snoring and an increase in heart rate and an increase in blood pressure during sleep - instead of lowering these parameters. Snoring increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (including hypertension, hypoxia of the heart muscle leading to coronary heart disease and infarction). A causal relationship between snoring and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes has also been proven.

Snoring - anatomical defects

Snoring can actually cause many factors - in adults, such as the curvature of the nasal septum, hypertrophy of the base of the tongue or uvula, excessively flaccid and elongated soft palate, hypertrophy and swelling of the nasal turbinates, hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, nasal polyps.

In turn,snoring in childrenis most often caused by an enlargement of the palatine tonsils or the third tonsil. In this case, the only treatment is to remove them. The cause of snoring in children may also be an allergy, nasal obstruction (which in turn may be the result of various infections, e.g. sinusitis), laryngeal flaccidity (most often it affects the youngest children - from newborns a few days old to one year old).

Snoring - diagnosis

Snoring is not a disease in itself. It is simply a symptom of obstructed air flow. Sleep apnea is dangerous, and tests are usually performed to confirm or rule out obstructive sleep apnea. You should know that men over 40, suffering from arterial hypertension and overweight, and obese women over 55 with hormonal disorders and hypertension are among the group of people at particular risk of developing sleep apnea.

The following patients are also at risk:

  • with a deviated nasal septum,
  • elongated soft palate,
  • with enlarged tonsils(very common in children),
  • an overgrown uvula or other abnormalities in the structure of the respiratory tract.

- Breathing disorders during sleep can lead to many dysfunctions - says Dr. Marcin Broda from the MML Medical Center in Warsaw. - From those less serious but troublesome, such as morning headaches, decreased concentration, falling asleep during the day while performing various activities, to much more serious ones, such as cardiovascular disorders that can even lead to a heart attack.

Why is it worth checking if we suffer from sleep apnea? Sleep apnea increases the risk of a car accident by up to 7 times - brain hypoxia translates into problems with concentration, fatigue and the already mentioned need for an extra nap.

Snoring - what kind of "snoring" test?

In patients who snore, tests are first performed in order to exclude or confirm sleep apnea. Most often it is an abbreviated polygraph test of sleep. In addition, the doctor may order, for example, three-dimensional tomography of the airways or rhinomanometry (test of the patency of the nose), in order to locate the place of airway narrowing. This gives you the opportunity to know the cause of snoring.

If the snoring is caused by anatomical defects, they can be surgically removed and the problem will be resolved. Even on an outpatient basis or under the so-called One-day surgery can correct a deviated nasal septum, cut out overgrown tonsils, remove polyps, reduce the palate and even the tongue.

However, if we suffer from sleep apnea, extensive research is needed. In hospital conditions, the body's behavior during sleep is monitored, i.e. ECG (recording of the regularity of the heart rate), EEG (assessment of bioelectrical activity of the brain), EMG (assessment of muscle tone) and EEA (recording of eye movements).

The oxygen saturation of hemoglobin is also checked by wearing a pulse oximeter on the finger, chest and abdomen movements, and the movement of air through the nose and mouth. The sounds that the patient makes are recorded by the microphone. Only the full picture allows you to take further steps.

It is worth mentioning here that the patient is monitored not only in the hospital, but also at home - less advanced equipment than in the hospital records the level of blood oxygenation, snoring sounds, changes in the pulse rate and body position.

Snoring - sleep apnea diagnosis

There are individual treatments for sleep apnea. Among them, there is a procedure to reduce the mass of the palate andlanguage. You can also use special masks worn at night or dental inserts to prevent the tongue from sinking towards the larynx.

The data show that in Poland at least 100,000 people should be treated for night apnea. In practice, only a few people heal.

The main symptoms of snoring becoming a disease are headaches during the day, problems with concentration, low intellectual performance and problems with potency.

Studies have confirmed the relationship between snoring and an increase in heart rate and an increase in blood pressure during sleep - instead of lowering these parameters. Snoring increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (including hypertension, hypoxia of the heart muscle leading to coronary heart disease and infarction). A causal relationship between snoring and the occurrence of type 2 diabetes has also been proven.

Snoring - solo fight

Snoring is not an easy treatment, especially if a clear diagnosis is not made. The basic recommendations for snorers are losing unnecessary body weight (that is, getting rid of excess weight), avoiding alcohol consumption before bedtime and quitting smoking.

In smokers, snoring can be caused by saliva remaining in the larynx and trachea. In turn, alcohol causes the muscles of the throat and tongue to relax.

Snoring - ways to sleep well

In the case of snoring prevention, sleep hygiene is also important. We are talking about a flat pillow and sleeping on your side or stomach. Sleeping on your back, as well as a higher pillow, can make snoring worse.

Snoring aggravates sinus problems, a runny nose, and - in the case of women - hormonal disorders, which can be helped by hormone replacement therapy. Young women are protected against snoring by progesterone, which stimulates the muscles of the throat and prevents them from slackening.

Snoring - treatment

Treatment methods depend on the cause, and this is determined in the course of detailed diagnostics, including, among others, assessment of the structure of the upper respiratory tract, examination of the patency of the nasal passages - rhinomanometry, polysomnography (sleep examination detecting hypoxia in the body and the occurrence of unconscious awakenings resulting from respiratory disorders, fiberoendoscopy, imaging examination, i.e. 3D computed tomography.

- Treatment of breathing disorders, including snoring, can be carried out by a number of techniques depending on the cause, general he alth, and needs of the patient. - The most important thing is not to underestimate this type of disorder and not treat it only as an unpleasant nuisance- emphasizes Dr. Broda.

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