Snoring is noisy breathing caused when the nasal passageways and upper respiratory tract become blocked or partially blocked. Snoring can cause huge problems for both the snorer and the people who have to live in a close vicinity to them.
Sleep apnoea is diagnosed when the blockage causes the breathing to stop during sleep at least five times every hour for periods in excess of ten seconds. Sleep apnoea can be very dangerous for the person as they can literally die in their sleep.
Snoring caused by sleep apnoea is particularly noisy and can even disrupt whole households, not just the sufferer and their partner. A whole family can suffer.
If your doctor suspects you have sleep apnoea he will arrange for an examination of your nose and throat to look for an obvious cause of obstruction possibly an anatomical deviation or nasal polyps and this will be done by either an endoscopic examination or a CT scan. Once a preliminary diagnosis is made you will be invited to attend a sleep laboratory to undergo sleep studies.
Sleep studies monitor the changes in body processes during a period of normal sleep. Various measurements are taken including
oxygen levels in the blood
brain activity
heart rate
blood pressure
airflow in airways
movement of chest and diaphragm
You will be invited to stay overnight in the sleep laboratory where you will be attached to various instruments that will continuously monitor your various body functions whilst you sleep.
If sleep apnoea is diagnosed you will be advised to avoid any medication designed to help you sleep and alcohol. If you are overweight, you will be advised to diet. Often choosing to sleep on your side will improve the condition too. These three steps alone may be enough to improve the condition and stop the snoring.
Treatments available for those with sleep apnoea usually involve offering positive pressure ventilation where air is steadily and continuously pumped through a tightly fitting nasal mask. The increase in air pressure works to keep the airway open so making breathing easier and reducing the snoring levels.
If the self help steps and positive air ventilation do not work or cannot be tolerated surgery may be required. Such surgery may involve the removal of enlarged tonsils and adenoids or the reconstruction of the soft palate.
Obstructive sleep apnoea, the most common form of this condition, usually responds readily to treatment. Central sleep apnoea, where there may be brain or nerve damage, is less responsive. In these circumstances it is possible to consider the use of drugs that act on the brain to stimulate breathing.
The snoring caused by sleep apnoea is particularly noisy and disruptive. It sounds positively painful for the sufferer as their reflexes awaken them to draw in a deep, rasping breath every ten minutes or so. Sleep patterns are disturbed for the sufferer and their partner and for this reason it is important to seek medical treatment.
