Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring is a common sleep problem that is more common in men and overweight people, and its incidence increases with age. It can be mild, severe, intermittent, or continuous. Snoring occasionally, especially when tired, is not a serious health problem. However, if you have a snoring problem for a long time and you usually snore, not only the sleep quality of your relatives but also your own health and sleep quality are affected. Snoring can have many causes. Among them, sleep apnea is a serious sleep and breathing problem due to its potential effects. Sleep apnea causes breathing to stop and start occasionally during sleep.

What are the causes of snoring?

Our muscles relax while we sleep. This causes the way we breathe to narrow, and the moving air vibrates the tissues and makes a sound as it passes through the narrower space. Briefly, the reasons are:

• Being overweight
• Tonsil swelling, sinusitis, adenoid
• Nose deformities
• Deformities in the anatomical structure of the throat and jaw
• Nasal congestion
• Sleeping pills and tranquilizers
• Heart diseases
• Nasal polyps
• Pregnancy
• Lying on your back with your head down
• Being overly tired

What is sleep apnea?

It is a condition characterized by abnormal breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea have long pauses in their breathing while they sleep. These temporary breathing delays cause poor quality sleep. But more importantly, it can cause serious health problems by causing the body to not get enough oxygen. In other words, apnea is not only a snoring problem but also a respiratory disease. Therefore, it must be treated. There are several types of sleep apnea. The most common is obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by intermittent obstruction of the airway as a result of relaxation of the throat muscles during sleep.

What problems does sleep apnea cause?

The main problem is not getting enough rest. Lack of sleep is associated with a wide range of health problems that affect a person physically, mentally, and emotionally. In addition, according to the severity of apnea, that is, the level of affecting the oxygen balance in the body, untreated apnea can cause various cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack, heart disease, and stroke.

Snoring and sleep apnea treatment

If the snoring is not very severe, methods such as sleeping on a higher pillow, changing the habit of sleeping on the back, losing weight, and taking a break from eating before sleep can be effective. However, if the problem does not go away despite these applications, the cause should be determined by an ENT specialist. Treatment will differ depending on the cause of the snoring. Treatment will differ depending on the cause of the snoring. If there are cases that affect healthy breathing, such as bone curvatures, obstructions, and polyps, these conditions should be treated with medication or, if necessary, surgical methods. If there is a sleep apnea problem, it can be treated by wearing special devices that support the airway while sleeping at night. In short, treatments vary considerably depending on the cause of snoring. For this reason, you should first consult an ENT specialist to find out the cause of your snoring problem.

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