When you snore a lot, it might be annoying to your sleeping partner, but it probably doesn’t seem like a problem that could impact your overall sleep quality or systemic health. However, snoring constantly and consistently can have some impact, such as taxing your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. For some people, it can also indicate a much more serious problem than it seems at first, such as a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. If your snoring is a sign of sleep apnea, then seeking treatment for it could be more important to your sleep quality and overall health than you may realize.
What snoring has to do with sleep apnea
Chronic snoring and obstructive sleep apnea have a lot in common. For example, both are often caused by mouth or throat tissues obstructing the airway, and both can make it difficult to breathe and sleep properly. However, when you have sleep apnea, this obstruction becomes complete over time, stopping you from breathing at all for several moments. Until then, the increasing obstruction of your airway causes you to snore louder and louder, then stop suddenly when you stop breathing.
How sleep apnea-related snoring sounds
If you have sleep apnea, but don’t know it, then the snoring that accompanies it might not be an obvious symptom. In fact, many people can endure sleep apnea for years before realizing that they have problem beyond a consistent snoring habit. However, the snoring that’s related to obstructive sleep apnea isn’t the same as regular snoring, and it doesn’t sound like it, either. The snoring occurs and grows louder due to the increasing obstruction of your airway, and your breathing will stop when the obstruction becomes complete.
How to address your snoring or sleep disorder
Chronic snoring and sleep apnea are often the result of an airway obstruction, and helping you stop snoring may require the use of a custom-designed oral appliance. A sleep apnea appliance can prevent airway obstruction by keeping your airway clear and open while you sleep, while remaining comfortable not to interfere with your sleeping pattern. By putting a stop to your snoring habit or addressing your sleep apnea, you can stop the condition from negatively impacting your quality of sleep.
Stop snoring and sleep more peacefully
When snoring occurs every night and follows a specific, especially loud pattern, it may be a sign that you actually have obstructive sleep apnea. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
