Snoring | Sleep Disorders

One of the most common sleep disorders is snoring. This seemingly harmless, involuntary vibratory noise is generated when the airflow from breathing has to force its way through a blocked or obstructed airway. Snoring is common to both man and women and in some cases can affect children. One fundamental characteristic of most sleep disorders is the prevention of natural sleep cycle completion. Common symptoms of a variety of sleep disorders is daytime fatigue and excessive sleepiness.

If you ever thought that snoring is just a harmless social embarrassing condition you may have to think again. Long term snoring can have serious consequences in terms of relationships with partners as well as creating dangerous health conditions for the snorer. The person who is sleeping next to a snorer has to deal with the terrible sounds and sleep deprivation each night and the snorer faces the serious risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke and/or diabetes.

One of the more concerning sleep disorders is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) a condition where a person stops breathing for anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute. This condition affects breathing during sleep, and can actually stop breathing altogether. When the survival reflex system eventually kicks in to restart the breathing, with a very long deep and noisy breath, the person begins to breathe normal for a short time to only repeat the same. During this period the levels of oxygen drop dangerously (hypoxia).

Addressing a sleep disorders is a very important step you must take if you are to experience a healthier and happier life. A beginning point in diagnosing the type of snoring disorder is an interview with your physician. He will give advice and make recommendations on snoring and prevention. He may recommend life changes and/or more specialized treatment. A full range of medical, dental, and surgical treatments for sleep disorders are available.

Diagnosis of sleep disorders is based on clinical acumen, scientific knowledge, and appropriately applied laboratory studies. Training for researchers in sleep disorders is rigorous and knowledge needed span many fields. The best way to diagnose snoring disorders is with a Sleep Study or Polysomnogram conducted at specialists sleep disorder laboratories. Another important investigatory laboratory test for assessing sleep disorders is actigraphy.

In conclusion, snoring and lack of sleep due to sleep disorders can take a serious toll on people’s life. The most common snoring disorder is obstructive sleep apnea. The main diagnosis for snoring disorders is polysomnogram or sleep study a highly technical assessment of an overnight sleep test.

Surveys have documented that physician training and knowledge about sleep and sleep disorders is minimal. That’s not surprising since the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders is a fairly recent medical development. Understanding sleep disorders is the first step.

snoring, sleep disorders

The information, suggestions, and research described herein are intended to be purely educational. They are not intended to replace the services and advice of your physician. Read more….