Do you or your partner experience issues staying asleep due to snoring? Do you wake up still feeling groggy and tired?
Millions of Americans snore, and while many people don’t realize they snore, their partners certainly do. Snoring is not a dire medical condition, but coupled with other symptoms, it may indicate Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Snoring and sleep apnea can cause a person to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. In addition to providing general dentistry options, Dr. Leonard Hess offers snoring and sleep apnea treatment.
Dr. Leonard Hess offers treatments for snoring and sleep apnea in Monroe, NC. He uses a snore guard to help patients stop snoring and get a better night’s sleep. Some people can stop snoring by losing weight, avoiding tobacco, and limiting alcohol before bed.
Others, however, have a problem that requires attention from a medical professional. Your dentist in Monroe, NC offers treatment for snoring patients, bringing relief from symptoms and a good night’s sleep for all!
Snoring, although common, can be a sign of a serious health concern known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). There are a variety of risk factors for OSA, which is more common in men and overweight patients.
Sleep Apnea Risk Factors
While anyone can develop sleep apnea, certain individuals are at a higher risk than others. Understanding the risk factors for sleep apnea can help you take steps to prevent or manage the condition.
Obesity
One of the biggest risk factors for sleep apnea is being overweight or obese. Extra weight, especially around the neck and throat, can narrow the airway, making it more difficult for air to flow freely during sleep. This can lead to pauses in breathing, a key sign of sleep apnea. Losing weight through healthy eating and exercise can help improve or even alleviate sleep apnea for some individuals.
Age
As you get older, your risk of developing sleep apnea increases. Sleep apnea is more common in adults over 40, though it can occur at any age. Older adults may have weaker muscle tone in the throat, which can contribute to airway blockages during sleep.
However, sleep apnea is not limited to adults. Children can also develop the condition, often due to enlarged tonsils or adenoids.
Gender
Men are twice as likely to develop sleep apnea as women. Men often develop sleep apnea more easily because they tend to have thicker necks and more throat fat that can block breathing. But women’s risk rises after menopause, so both genders should understand the risks.
Family History
If sleep apnea runs in your family, you may be at higher risk of developing it. Genetics can influence the structure of your airway and increase your risk of airway obstruction during sleep. If your parents or siblings have sleep apnea, discuss your risk and any potential symptoms with your doctor.
Smoking
Smoking is another major risk factor for sleep apnea. Smoking irritates the airways and can cause inflammation, which increases the likelihood of airway obstruction. Smokers are also at higher risk for other respiratory conditions, which can make sleep apnea worse. Quitting smoking can improve your overall health and reduce your risk of sleep apnea.
Other Risk Factors
Other factors that can increase your risk of sleep apnea include having a small airway, large tonsils, or a large tongue. People with health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease are more likely to get sleep apnea. Drinking alcohol or taking sleeping pills can also make the throat muscles too relaxed, which blocks breathing during sleep.
The Impacts of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea causes short breathing pauses that happen many times each night. Although each pause lasts only seconds, it can lead to serious health problems over time. Treating sleep apnea is crucial. It can improve your quality of life now and protect your overall health in the future.
Short-Term Effects of Sleep Apnea
One of the most common short-term effects of sleep apnea is extreme tiredness during the day. As a result of repeated interruptions to sleep, people with sleep apnea often experience poor-quality sleep. Despite spending a full night in bed, they wake up feeling unrefreshed and may struggle to stay awake throughout the day. This constant tiredness makes it hard to focus on everyday tasks, stay alert while driving, or work safely with machines.
People with sleep apnea frequently wake up during the night due to breathing difficulties. These waking episodes may be brief, and people may not even remember them in the morning, but they can still disrupt sleep cycles. This leads to broken sleep, preventing the body from reaching deep, restorative stages like REM sleep, which is crucial for both mind and body.
Loud snoring is another short-term effect of sleep apnea. While snoring is common among people with sleep apnea, not everyone who snores has the condition. Snoring occurs when the airway is partially obstructed, resulting in turbulent airflow.
With sleep apnea, snoring often stops suddenly when breathing pauses, then restarts with a loud gasp or choking noise. These disruptions can disturb the person with sleep apnea and their bed partner, affecting everyone’s sleep quality.
The lack of restorative sleep can lead to difficulty concentrating, poor memory, and reduced cognitive function. Untreated sleep apnea can cause ‘brain fog’—when your mind feels cloudy and it’s hard to focus or remember. This can significantly impact work or school performance and overall mental clarity.
Sleep apnea can also affect a person’s mood. The combination of sleep disruption, fatigue, and frustration can lead to irritability, anxiety, and even depression. Chronic tiredness can cause short tempers, mood swings, and a reduced ability to manage stress. Sleep apnea can cause anxiety, especially when people don’t know it’s the reason for their symptoms.
When breathing stops during sleep apnea, oxygen levels fall. This makes the heart beat faster and raises blood pressure. While brief, these changes can be dangerous—especially for people with heart problems. This is why sleep apnea can sometimes cause discomfort or chest tightness during the night.
Long-Term Effects of Sleep Apnea
- Heart Disease and Stroke: If left untreated, sleep apnea can contribute to long-term heart problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure, and an increased risk of stroke. When sleep apnea repeatedly stops breathing, it starves your body of oxygen and makes your blood pressure surge. This constant strain weakens your heart over time, making heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes much more likely.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Sleep apnea is also linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People with sleep apnea often experience insulin resistance, meaning the body doesn’t respond as effectively to insulin. This can make it harder to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to a higher risk of diabetes. The lack of sleep can also impair the body’s ability to regulate glucose levels, thereby contributing to metabolic issues.
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Without treatment, sleep apnea can cause constant, severe tiredness that doesn’t go away with sleep. As sleep quality worsens, people with sleep apnea may become increasingly exhausted. This exhaustion makes everyday life harder, affecting even simple tasks and overall well-being.
- Cognitive Decline and Memory Issues: Chronic sleep apnea can contribute to long-term cognitive decline. Over time, the lack of quality sleep can affect the brain’s functioning. Without treatment, sleep apnea can cause memory loss, concentration problems, and raise dementia risks. This happens because nighttime breathing pauses starve brain cells of oxygen, especially in memory areas.
- Weight Gain and Obesity: Sleep apnea is often linked to obesity, and the condition can make it harder to lose weight. Poor sleep disrupts the body’s metabolism, increasing hunger and cravings for high-calorie foods.
- Sleep deprivation also affects the hormones that control appetite, making people hungrier during the day. This can cause weight gain, which makes sleep apnea worse. Then, worse sleep apnea leads to more weight gain, creating a harmful cycle.
- Complications During Surgery: People with untreated sleep apnea are at greater risk of complications during surgery. Sleep apnea’s breathing pauses and low oxygen can slow recovery after surgery, especially with general anesthesia. This risk is especially high in individuals with severe sleep apnea.
- Impact on Relationships: The long-term effects of sleep apnea can also affect relationships. Snoring, disrupted sleep, and irritability can strain partnerships and lead to a lack of intimacy and connection. In severe cases, sleep apnea can cause partners to sleep in separate rooms, further affecting the relationship quality.
Snoring & Sleep Apnea Treatment
If lifestyle changes don’t help your snoring or sleep apnea, Dr. Hess can provide treatment. He offers custom mouthpieces (snore guards) that keep your airway open while you sleep, stopping snoring.
How Does a Snore Guard Work?
- Repositions the lower jaw, tongue, soft palate, or uvula
- Stabilizes the lower jaw and tongue
- Increases the muscle tone of the tongue
Wake Up Feeling Refreshed
Snoring affects not only the snorer but also their sleep partner. Contact us to schedule a consultation with Dr. Leonard Hess and determine if a snore guard is right for you. If you notice these symptoms, see Dr. Hess to check for sleep apnea. Treatment could help.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea FAQs
Snoring and sleep apnea can have detrimental effects on your overall health. Learn more about these conditions by reading the answers to these frequently asked questions.
What causes snoring?
Snoring is a noise caused by vibrations in your airway. During sleep, the muscles in the back of the mouth become relaxed. They can vibrate as air passes over them and, in some cases, partially obstruct your airway. As airflow becomes more difficult, the snoring becomes louder.
Who is most susceptible to sleep apnea issues?
Snoring can happen to anyone, but men, older adults, and heavier people snore more often. Other factors that contribute to snoring are habits such as alcohol use, smoking, and the use of sedatives.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-breathing disorder. The most noticeable sign of OSA is snoring. It is a serious medical condition and can lead to complications, including cardiovascular problems, fatigue, and complications with medications and surgery.
Does sleep apnea go away on its own?
It is very uncommon for sleep apnea to go away on its own. There are things you can do to alleviate it without medical intervention. You can exercise more often, alter your sleep position, use a humidifier, and avoid drinking alcohol and smoking.
Can people with sleep apnea get disability?
No, the Social Security Administration doesn’t consider sleep apnea a condition that qualifies for disability status. You have to meet the definition of being disabled. Some of the side effects and other problems resulting from having sleep apnea may qualify you for disability.
When should I be concerned about my snoring?
Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. But sleep apnea sufferers are almost always people who snore. It can be challenging to determine when your snoring is a sign of something more serious.
You should consult a healthcare provider if snoring significantly disrupts your daily life. Loud snoring can wreck your sleep, leaving you exhausted during the day. You might even nod off at dangerous times, like behind the wheel. Waking up and gasping for air are other signs that a more serious problem is at hand.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a serious condition that can harm your health, raising your risk of stroke and heart problems. Call us for treatment options at 704–240–5045, or schedule a consultation online today.