Snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is a medical condition that has existed for centuries, but was not given a name until the late 20th century. It is a debilitating and life-shortening ailment that people around the world suffer from. Many of those sufferers do not know they have this potentially dangerous condition which affects more than 18 million Americans, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Many people, like me, don't become aware sleep apnea existed until a relative or neighbor is diagnosed with it, but it is important to be familiar with the symptoms as the consequences of not treating the disorder can be fatal.

Five years ago, my 25-year-old niece died as a result of undiagnosed sleep apnea. She went away for the weekend with friends, had a few drinks and took a prescription painkiller that someone gave her for a painful wisdom tooth. During the night, she stopped breathing and was just sedated enough that her body couldn't rouse itself, so she never woke up. Her death was ruled an accident due to the combination of alcohol, medication and sleep apnea. She had most of the symptoms but didn't know it. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of sleep apnea include loud snoring, waking with a dry mouth or sore throat, headaches in the morning, excessive daytime sleepiness, problems paying attention and difficulty staying asleep. (The word "apnea" is Greek and means "without breath.")

We all know people who snore, so it is important to note that snoring may not be a sign of sleep apnea, but loud snoring punctuated by periods of silence may be a good indicator of apnea, which occurs involuntarily and unexpectedly while a person is asleep.

You may also notice when someone close to you has abrupt awakenings from shortness of breath or intermittent pauses in his or her breathing during sleep. Apnea causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly while sleeping – sometimes hundreds of times a night – estimates the American Sleep Apnea Association.

According to experts at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, snoring is essentially a partial restriction of the airway. When a person is snoring, some air gets through the trachea, causing tissues in the throat to vibrate. In cases of complete sleep apnea, no air gets through. Snoring can be mixed with periods of apnea, resulting in a series of snorts, whistles and stopped breathing that can make it difficult to get a restful night's sleep.

When a person suffers from sleep apnea and periods of snoring, he or she struggles to get more air into his or her lungs. Air supplies may be so severely limited that oxygen levels drop. The body kicks into action and awakens the sleeper so he or she can get oxygen. This cycle may repeat itself hundreds of times throughout the night.

These moments of breathlessness can last a minute or longer and may not trigger a full awakening in a person. The sleeper may only awaken slightly and not remember these awakenings in the morning, but he or she will likely feel drowsy, which is a direct byproduct of sleep apnea.

There are different types of sleep apnea. The main types are obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive apnea is the most common and occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax during sleep and inhibit air flow. With central sleep apnea, a person's brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. Mixed sleep apnea is a combination of both obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Many people experience sleep apnea, though it may be more pronounced in certain groups of people. Those who are overweight may have obstructions to breathing. People with a thick neck also may have a narrower airway. Genetics may also play a role in a narrow airway in the throat, or enlarged adenoids or tonsils that contribute to airway obstruction. My father snored a lot, and while we don't know if he had sleep apnea, three of my siblings do.

Men are twice as likely to have sleep apnea as women, and men who are older than age 60 have an increased risk over younger men. Smokers are three times more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea over people who have never smoked. That's because, according to the Mayo Clinic, inflammation and mucus retention may occur in the upper airway.

People who naturally have difficulty breathing through the nose may also be at a higher risk for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea and snoring also may cause damage to the heart. Over time, a lack of oxygen can put undue stress on the heart, leading to a greater risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack. In addition, impotence, memory loss and migraines may result from oxygen deprivation. So, it is important that the disorder be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Anyone with sleeping problems can be tested for sleep apnea. This usually involves some sort of sleep test, whether at home or a nocturnal polysonmography (which measures heart, lung and brain activity) conducted at a sleep center. Your doctor may refer you to an ear, nose and throat doctor if there is a physical obstruction causing the apnea. Recommendations may include losing weight, quitting smoking and other lifestyle changes if these are thought to be the primary causes behind the apnea.

Therapies for obstructive sleep apnea can include continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, which uses a machine to deliver continuous air pressure into the nose and mouth to keep air passages open. There are other air pressure devices as well. Surgery, including implants or creating a new air passageway via a tracheostomy, may be necessary in severe cases that don't respond to other treatments.

Sleep apnea is not a condition to take lightly. It seriously affects people's health and requires action to prevent other problems resulting from lack of oxygen to the body. Consult your doctor if you have any of the symptoms so you can be tested and treated.