There is much uncertainty regarding the difference between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and snoring. Any people who snore loudly assume they have OSA. Next, there are plenty of individuals with OSA who believe they are just loud snorers. Although the pair is both sleep-related, they are much different.
Getting to Know Sleep Apnea
The first thing you require to know is that there are three kinds of sleep apnea.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The airway is deflated or obstructed. It is the class several usually mistaken for snoring.
Central Sleep Apnea: A gap in breathing is the collapse because the brain fails to send signs to the specific tissues that are responsible for inhaling.
Complex Sleep Apnea: This is a combination among the two.
A Better Look at Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
OSA is so generally confused with snoring because the symptoms are quite alike. In fact, some people with OSA snore, which makes matters more complicated. There are suggestions that sleep apnea may affect over 18 million U.S, but the enormous majority goes undiagnosed.
OSA makes a complete or partial blockage in the airway, much like snoring. However, with snoring, there is air fight to get in.
It is the flow of air that produces smooth muscles to vibrate against each other. With OSA, the flow of air is interrupted, which causes the brain to send signs to wake the body up. Breathing intervals can vary from seconds to a minute or larger. They can also occur as many as 30 times per hour. So, although you do not get waking up all these periods, your sleep cycle suffers.
When your breathing is shallow, you stay in non-rapid eye movement sleep, so your body does not fully recharge. When you snore, your sleep period is affected the same way. sleep apnea mouth guard are a good starting point to combat this problem.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Snoring is a principal symptom of sleep apnea. However, added sleep apnea signs appear in individuals who just snore without OSA. A few add excessive daytime sleepiness, lack of energy, morning headaches, trouble thinking, sore neck, dry mouth, depression, irritation, and high blood pressure.
Although which sleep condition you have, these are not signs you need to ignore. Every night you deprive your body of its deep sleep cycle, you compromise your mental and physical health.
In a nutshell, the two sleep complications have a connection, solely having one does not mean you have the other. Only a qualified medical doctor or sleep professional can diagnose sleep apnea.