Classifying Sleep Apnea When Snoring Is No Longer Normal

Sleep apnea reportedly affects 57 percent of men, 40 percent of women, and approximately 27 percent of children. Sleep apnea is widespread, varying in severity and health implications. Snoring among affected individuals can be occasional, light, and not concerning. However, it can also indicate a severe underlying sleep-related breathing disorder needing sleep apnea treatment in Cupertino from a medical or dental professional.

If you want to learn more about the basics of snoring, trying to understand what causes it, the dangers associated with it, treating it, and cooking with it, we suggest you read this blog for all the information you want about sleep apnea.

Causes For Snoring

Rattling and vibration of the tissues near the airway at the back of the throat cause cheap apnea. When sleeping, the airway narrows because the muscles loosen while inhaling and exhaling because the moving air causes the tissue to flutter and make noises.

Some people are most susceptible to snoring because of the shape and size of the muscles and tissues in their necks. In others relaxing of the tissue or narrowing of the airway leads to snoring. Snoring can affect people of all ages, including children, but the problem is more common among older people. In addition, men are affected by snoring more than women.

Differences Between Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a common symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, but not all people who snore are affected by this condition. Snoring associated with OSA is generally loud, as though the affected individual is choking, gasping, or snorting.

OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder when the airway is blocked or collapsed when sleeping to cause repeated lapses in breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea disrupts and disturbs sleep patterns and the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. Mild snoring, which occurs frequently and is also called primary snoring, doesn’t provoke the after-effects of OSA.

Is Snoring Detrimental?

The severity, frequency, and type of snoring determine whether it is dangerous or not.

People affected by light and infrequent snoring don’t require medical testing or treatment.
However, people with primary snoring occurring three nights every week and disrupting their bed partners benefit from diagnosis from a medical professional.
Snoring associated with OSA is concerning and needs treatment to avoid significant implications to the patient’s sleep and overall health. Untreated OSA affects people with daytime drowsiness and severe health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, and depression.

When to Approach a Doctor about Snoring?

Several instances of snoring are benign and require little or no treatment. However, if the symptoms of snoring are severe, it helps to discuss with a doctor or dentist if people are affected by the problem three or more times during the week and display other symptoms of OSA like high blood pressure, nighttime teeth grinding, treatment urination at night. People with these symptoms must have the issue addressed by a medical professional who determines whether additional testing is essential.

Trying to determine whether sleep apnea affects anyone but themselves is challenging and is one of the reasons for OSA is largely underdiagnosed. If sleeping alone, using a recording device can help. However, the optimal method is to listen to complaints from bed partners and schedule a consideration with a medical professional to determine which treatment is best suited for the condition people are dealing with.

Which Treatments Can Help Sleep Apnea and Snoring?

Medical professionals offer various treatments depending on the severity of the condition and the problems it causes. People with infrequent snoring episodes may not require any treatment unless it is disturbing their sleep and their bed partners. Few episodes of snoring are often treated by lifestyle changes like limiting the use of sedatives and alcohol, reducing nasal congestion, and adjusting sleeping positions.

People affected by different types of sleep apnea, such as mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea, will need treatment for the condition after getting tested from a sleep clinic, significantly if they are affected by severe sleep apnea. In some cases, doctors may decide to treat patients even with mild sleep apnea if they have risk factors of heart disease.

Treatment For Sleep Apnea

Treatment for sleep apnea after undergoing a sleep apnea test generally begins with the gold standard in sleep apnea devices called the CPAP device. Unfortunately, many people don’t find the CPAP device comfortable to wear when sleeping and begin looking for CPAP alternatives offered by many dental professionals working in conjunction with sleep specialists.

Dentists pioneered oral appliances for sleep apnea to help people affected by this condition lead an everyday life without the concerns of moving around with a bulky CPAP device wherever they traveled. It is why dentists discovered the sleep apnea mouthguard functioning as a mandibular advancement device to hold the lower jaw forward and prevent collapsing of the airway when sleeping.

Patients desiring to get rid of sleep apnea permanently may consider sleep apnea surgery which is also available. However, surgical options are not the first line of defense against sleep apnea and are better ignored unless the procedure is recommended by a medical professional for severe uncontrolled sleep apnea.

Any snoring episodes over three times a week is not considered normal and needs attention from a medical professional to diagnose sleep apnea.