Sleep apnea literally means, "stop breathing during sleep," and that is exactly what happens to thousands of people who are affected by the disorder. Millions more are undiagnosed because their symptoms are simply explained away as tiredness or other factors. If someone has sleep apnea, a neurological problem causes soft tissues to repeatedly block the airway during sleep, causing the sufferer to literally gasp for air.

Symptoms and features of sleep apnea include: (1)Excessive sleepiness during the day, lack of concentration, forgetfulness; (2) High blood pressure; (3) Obesity; (4) Loud snoring, snorting or gasping; (5)Irritability; (6) Depression;(7) Excessive sweating at night; (8) Insomnia or restless sleep; and (9) Confusion upon wakening and morning headaches

Usually a partner recognizes symptoms before the patient, because the person sharing a room is all too aware of the loud snoring, a sudden snort or gasp for air, and constant restlessness. Someone with sleep apnea can actually stop breathing for about 10 seconds at a time, up to 400 times in one night!

Sleep apnea can be attributed to physical features, such as a receding chin or large neck, and external factors, such as use of sleeping pills, obesity, nighttime alcoholic beverages, heartburn and high altitudes.

The facts of sleep apnea are: (1)An estimated 18-25 million people have sleep apnea; (2) Less than one million people realize it; (3) Probably 30-40 million people have some kind of sleep disorder and most are unaware of it; (4) Sleep disorders add 15.9 billion to the total health care bill in the United States; (5) Severe sleep apnea sufferers stop breathing more than 50 times per hour; (6) 10% of men of working age, 2% of women and 3% of children have sleep apnea; (7) Obese children are four times as likely to suffer from sleep apnea than children of average weight; (8) African-American children are 3? times more at risk than children of other races; (9) 56,000 automobile crashes stem annually from driver fatigue; and (10) Drivers with sleep disorders often react slower than drivers slightly above the legal alcohol limit.

You are more at risk if you are: (1) African American; (2) Living in a rural area; (3) Between 40 and 65 years old; (4) A smoker; (5) Drink alcohol at night; and (6) Diabetic.

Consequences:
There are serious consequences to ignoring this potentially life-threatening disorder. If untreated, your risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke is higher. The risk of accidents is also increased because if you drive or operate machinery, you may not be as focused as you could be after a restful sleep.

How to diagnose sleep apnea:
Most physicians are not trained extensively in sleep disorders and do not usually focus on them. You should be aware of the symptoms, and if you believe you or someone you love may have this problem, contact our office or your physician. A sleep test is usually performed to monitor the extent of the problem. Additionally, a special questionnaire may help determine whether the symptoms indicate sleep apnea.

Relief for the chronic snorer:
If you are not diagnosed with sleep apnea, as a habitual snorer you may be able to receive help with an anti-snoring dental device. There are many different devices available to you. This pliable plastic appliance should be carefully fitted by us to ensure it will stay in place while you sleep.

There's no doubt that snoring becomes a real problem when someone else is around to hear it. However, snorers may face a more serious issue than an upset partner and a night on the couch. Snoring can be indicative of a problem that deprives many people of sleep: sleep apnea.

Snoring is caused by an array of things. Dental problems can cause the noisy affliction. And sometimes a cold or other respiratory problem causes raspy noises to emerge from the sleeper. However, there is a condition known as sleep apnea that causes snoring.

The main difference with snoring due to sleep apnea is that the snoring is the result of noises made as the brain arouses the sleeper to continue breathing. Yes, continue breathing. Sleep apnea is a condition where the sleep actually stops breathing for one reason or another.

Sleep apnea results in poor and fragmented sleep. While the person suffering from the condition may not realize he or she is waking, the body knows, and the quality and amount of necessary REM sleep is diminished.

While occasional snoring is something everyone's partner has to deal with, it is important to have constant and persistent snoring checked out by a health care professional. As with most snoring-related conditions, sleep apnea is treatable. Creating a plan with help from a qualified professional can stop the snoring and help reduced blood pressure, fatigue, headaches and memory problems that result from inadequate sleep.

It is important to remember that the trouble with snoring is not, in fact the trouble. Snoring is always one of the symptoms of another problem. The problem may be a cold or it may be related to some dental or other cosmetic issue. Or it might be sleep apnea. In any case, the causes of persistent snoring should be found and treated.

Of all the snoring related physical ailments, arguably the most severe and ironically least understood is a condition called Sleep Apnea. These two words should be emblazoned in the minds of every snorer, and anyone who lives with or cares about the safety and well being of a snorer.

The word apnea in the term sleep apnea derives from the Greek term for absence of breathing. That, in a nutshell, gives a sense of how dangerous sleep apnea can be; it literally refers to a condition where breathing stops during sleep.

There are two types of sleep apnea:

1) Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - This most common form of apnea occurs when throat muscles relax.

2) Central Sleep Apnea - This form of apnea occurs when the brain fails to send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Sleep apnea and snoring are directly linked because during snoring the airway of the trachea is constantly subjected to repetitive collapse and obstruction; in fact, it is that collapse and obstruction that leads to the vibration that, ultimately, manifests itself as audible snoring. Obstructive Sleep Apnea thus occurs when, due to that continuous collapse of the airway, breathing actually stops.

Although Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs two to three times as often in older male adults, it can affect young or old, male or female. Even children can have sleep apnea, a problem more common than once thought.

Certain factors can put you more at risk of getting sleep apnea:

Obesity & excess weight (leading to an enlarged neck and excess soft tissue in the trachea)

Enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils (airway can become blocked when tonsils or adenoids are too large)

Sex and age (older men are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than women are)

Drinking alcohol (sedates the throat muscles and causes them to collapse)

Cigarette smoking (which inflames the upper airway)

While death is obviously possible due to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (and subsequent lack of breathing), there are many very serious effects that, while not fatal, are most certainly severe.

Even when it is not fatal, Sleep apnea deprives the body of essential oxygen; and hence, overall blood oxygen levels are reduced and concurrently, carbon dioxide levels rise. This can lead to toxic buildup that can cause heart disease, stroke, and brain damage.