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VITALITY
Winter 2016
COMMUNITY
If you snore
like a freight train, you might be the butt of a few friendly jokes. But there’s
nothing funny about the snoring that’s associated with sleep apnea, a common sleep disorder
that can cause serious health problems.
Not every loud snorer has sleep apnea. But it’s a frequent sign.
People with sleep apnea stop breathing at night—briefly and repeatedly.
When these pauses happen, people may snore, make choking noises as they struggle to
breathe and partially wake up since they’re temporarily deprived of oxygen. Often, that
interrupted breathing is caused by collapsed tissue in the back of the throat that blocks the
passage of air into the lungs.
SEEK BETTER SLUMBER
Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
So it’s important to pay attention to possible symptoms of the sleep disorder. Along with
snoring and interrupted breathing or choking sounds during sleep, red flags include having:
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Morning headaches.
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Excessive daytime drowsiness—for example, falling asleep at work or while driving.
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Difficulty staying asleep.
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A dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening.
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Trouble concentrating.
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Forgetfulness.
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Moodiness, irritability or depression.
If there’s any chance you have sleep apnea, tell your doctor. An overnight sleep study can
help diagnose this sleep disorder, which is treatable.
Often that treatment includes continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). You’ll sleep
with a face mask hooked up to a machine that will keep your airways open with a steady
stream of air.
Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; American Academy of Sleep Medicine; National Institutes of Health
Spend the night
with us—at the
Missouri Sleep
Institute.
Call
417-328-6631
to learn more
about sleep
studies.
The big snore
SLEEP APNEA
SLEEP