Among sleep disorders, we find one that is very difficult to diagnose because it is often confused with snoring. It is the syndrome of sleep apnea, whose consequences are both physical and emotional. This type of insomnia requires medical treatment as soon as possible, but first, you have to learn to differentiate it from classic snoring.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea consists of intense snoring followed by a brief stop of breathing. After that moment of absence of breath, the person suffering from sleep apnea awakes agitated and may take a while to recover from sleep. The consequences of this sleep disorder are apparent, because the day after daytime drowsiness appears, exhaustion and lack of concentration.
It is a relatively frequent problem that directly affects the quality of sleep. People with sleep apnea sleep poorly and do not rest. And those who are by his side can also suffer insomnia problems. If in principle sleep apnea is associated with people with obesity or even smokers, the studies reveal a strong genetic component in this disease that needs medical treatment.
Many times the importance due to sleep apnea is not given because it is confused with snoring. Indeed, people suffering from this sleep disorder snoring but that snoring is interrupted by brief respiratory stops that are those that end up waking them during sleep. The inability to get a good night’s sleep can have serious consequences during the day, besides negatively influencing the mood.
How to avoid sleep apnea
We are facing a medical problem that needs to be treated by a sleep specialist. But we must also take into account some aggravating factors that can trigger this problem, such as excessive weight, deviation of the nasal septum, polyps, the shape of the jaw or thyroid problems. It also seems that some medications, such as anxiolytics, may favor the appearance of sleep apnea.
Some behaviors or bad habits can increase the risk of sleep apnea, so it is recommended to eat a balanced diet, practice some physical exercise and avoid alcohol. It is also imperative to get a regular sleep cycle that achieved with good sleep hygiene. And, in any case, you have to avoid sleeping on your back.
For sleep apnea treatments against snoring is not useful, since the origin of these snoring located in a different place. While the frequent snoring has its source in the nostrils, the snore of sleep apnea arises from the pharynx. So it is necessary to consult a professional.
Snoring, a serious problem to deal with
Snoring is a problem that affects 45 percent of the adult population occasionally, and at least 25 percent routinely snores. In the case of women, the number is reduced to 14 percent although it must bear in mind that it is still a problem to be addressed for which there are different solutions.
Snoring and sleep apnea are problems derived from poor breathing during sleep and as such carry certain harmful consequences for health. It ends up increasing the risk of hypertension, as well as aggravating a person’s cardiovascular risk.
Also, people who snore or have apnea tired in the morning as a result of not having been able to rest well. This will result in worse professional performance, also, to increase by six the probability of having a traffic accident compared to a driver who sleeps well.