The Quest For A Good Night's Sleep When Snoring And Sleep Apnea Are Present

                

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Does your partner snore and disturb your sleep? There's no point arguing about it, because the snorer probably has not control over what's happening. In fact, it may signal an issue that requires immediate medical attention.

Snoring is caused by a blockage in the breathing passage, and may be caused by:

Allergies

Mis-positioned jaw or tongue

Throat weakness

Fatty deposits in and around the throat

Obstructive sleep apnea

The final cause listed, obstructive sleep apnea, can be a major medical problem that requires treatment. Snoring occurs because of the movement of air around the narrow air passage formed by soft tissues at the back of your throat and nose. In obstructive sleep apnea, snoring is a serious problem that interferes with normal breathing patterns during sleep. Sleep apnea can be recognized by the fact that the sufferer will snore when asleep on his back, but doesn't snore when he sleeps on his side.

So what actually happens in sleep apnea? Basically, the upper airway collapses, which makes breathing difficult for a short period of time. This can be caused by an obstruction in the nasal passage, the soft tissues of the throat, soft palate or tongue. The negative pressures of inhaling often make the problem worse, by making it harder on the soft tissues. Eventually, the person wakes up, which puts more tension on the muscles, throat and tongue, and starts them breathing again as the airways open up to supply oxygen to the lungs. Often this is accompanied by snorting and startled awakening patterns.

Sleep apnea tends to follow a standard pattern, which is the person snores, then for 10-20 seconds stops breathing, which results in the snoring going quiet. Then the patient gasps for breath suddenly, and wakes up with a snort in order to inhale more air. This pattern is referred to as the sleep-snore-apnea-wake pattern. As you can imagine, this makes it very difficult for the sufferer to get a good night's sleep. Well over 90% of people with sleep apnea display this pattern, and can occur as many as 100-400 times in one night in extreme cases.

The good news is that there are a number of things that can be used to help relieve the problem of sleep apnea. Once your doctor has determined what's causing the problem, he or she will discuss treatment options with you, so that you can choose the most appropriate one.

Wearing a mask at night to improve breathing by keeping the throat open

Using decongestants and antihistamines to keep the nasal passages unclogged

Sleeping in the upright position can be helpful for overweight sufferers. This can be achieved by elevating the head of the bed.

Using 'Breathe Right' strips to relieve blocked nasal passages at nighttime

Special pillow to stretch the neck

Turbinectomy. The nasal passages are opened by removing soft tissue and bone in this surgical procedure

Laser surgery can remove excess tissue from the soft palate and uvula

CPAP. A mask covers the patient's nose, and air is supplied through the mask at a predetermined level. This way the optimal air pressure is always maintained.

Dental appliances can be used to hold the jaw or tongue forward, keeping the airway open at the back of the throat

Injection Snoreplasty. In this procedure a topical anesthetic is injected into the back of the throat and palate, giving a numbed effect. This stiffens the mouth for around three weeks, which stops the palate fluttering and producing the snoring noise

Do you have trouble sleeping and think you may require surgery for sleep apnea? Try visiting Coping-With-Sleep-Apnea.com where you will find helpful resources and information on sleep apnea to include symptoms of sleep apnea, common sleep apnea questions, treatments for sleep apnea and devices to cure sleep apnea that will have you sleeping better quickly and easily.