There is a huge difference between a sleep apnea problem and occasional snoring and if sleep apnea is not properly diagnosed, this could result in serious complications including the death of the acute sufferer.
So what is sleep apnea? Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition that can cause the soft tissues at the back of the throat to literally collapse as they constrict or relax during sleep causing obstruction to the oral passageways and the subsequent cessation of breathing.
If this should happen for a period of more than ten seconds at a time, this would be classified as OSA.
At the snorebond clinic we have measured a patient to be waking up over 200 times per hour during sleep apnea.
This situation can become dangerous as the lack of oxygen in the blood sometimes causes permanent damage to cell structures.
Related symptoms can include high blood pressure in the lungs, irregular heartbeats, impotence and narcolepsy (uncontrolled attacks of sleep during the day) Some patients undertake an overnight polysomnogram test.
This will measure your sleeping patterns accurately and build up a picture of your night time activity.
So if you are feeling irritable or sense decrease in alertness during the day, it is possible that a sleep apnea condition exists, especially if you have been told that you have a snoring problem.
There is also a halfway house between OSP and snoring, and this is called Upper Airway Resistance syndrome and is more likely to be diagnosed if your snoring is extremely loud but do not have the other symptoms of sleep apnea.
As with all medical conditions a visit to your doctor is always a good first step.