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| Sleep Apnea |  For one part of people snoring is not a serious health issue. But for others snoring can be a symptom of such serious disorder as sleep apnea. It is when a sleeper has periods of disrupted breathing where he or she is not able to get enough oxygen. Such person may show signs of gagging or choking and will wake up frequent times during the night. As a rule when people with sleep apnea wake up they'll have no recollection of it.
In order to find out if you have sleep apnea ask your spouse or someone else observe you when you go to sleep and watch out for periods where you may have difficulty breathing or waking episodes.
If you begin to notice that you have a dry mouth in the morning when you wake up and feel tired and fatigued during the day you may have sleep apnea. If you think you may have sleep apnea it is best to visit your doctor to find a treatment for you.
The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. It happens when the upper airway gets blocked during sleep. Airway blockage happens when the soft tissue in the back of the throat weakens and closes during sleep.
Central apnea and mixed apnea are other types of sleep apnea, but they are rarer. Central sleep apnea happens when the part of the brain that controls breathing doesn't work properly.
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Men, women and children of all ages can suffer from sleep apnea. Your risk is higher if you:
- overweight
- have anatomical factors like enlarged tonsils, large tongue or narrow throat
- smoke
- drink alcohol
- take sedatives
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
- Snoring
- Sleepiness during the day
- Feeling unrefreshed
- Mood swings
Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems like:
- Memory loss
- Depression
- Excessive sleepiness throughout the day
- Decreased intellectual functioning
- Elevated blood pressure
- Heart problems
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