The Hidden Risks of Snoring: How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Health

Millions of people worldwide are impacted by sleep apnea, yet it remains one of the most underdiagnosed and under-treated conditions. It is characterized by snoring, pauses in breathing, and shallow breaths during sleep, leading to fatigue and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

While snoring can indicate sleep apnea, this condition is much more serious than being a nuisance at night.

Sleep Apnea: What Is It?

Sleep apnea occurs when muscles fail to support and keep your airway open during sleep. The result is difficulty breathing and episodes of oxygen deprivation for those affected. Mild symptoms may include headaches and dry mouth upon waking up, but more severe cases can lead to chronic fatigue and heart attacks.

Though anyone can suffer from this life-threatening condition, certain factors make some people more prone to developing sleep apnea than others. Gender plays a role as men are twice as likely as women to have it; age also increases the risk, with over half of those diagnosed being older than 60.

Additionally, specific physical characteristics, such as a thicker neck or narrow airway—can make someone more susceptible to developing this disorder.

Sleep Apnea: What Causes It?

To understand how to manage this condition effectively, knowing what can cause it in the first place is essential.

1. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This type of sleep apnea is caused by the relaxation of the muscles in the back of your throat, which support the soft palate, uvula, tonsils, side walls, and even your tongue. When these muscles relax, your airway narrows or completely closes when you breathe in, leading to oxygen deprivation while you sleep.

To counteract this, your brain briefly wakes you up so that your airway can reopen—often without you being aware. As a result of this cycle occurring between 5 to 30 times an hour, it becomes difficult to maintain deep, restful sleep throughout the night leading to chronic fatigue during daytime hours.

2. Central Sleep Apnea

While the most recognized form of sleep apnea is obstructive, Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) disrupts necessary respiratory signals from the brain. As opposed to OSA, this less common type can cause an interruption in expected and regular breathing patterns during slumber.

This leads to periods where you make no effort to breathe, causing shortness of breath when you wake up or difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep.

Sleep Apnea: How Is It Diagnosed?

To properly diagnose sleep apnea, a doctor must review your medical history, do a physical examination and identify any potential alternate causes for your sleep problems. However, the only way to get an accurate diagnosis is by performing a sleep study.

Sleep studies, which a sleep specialist supervises, can be done in a particular sleep center or the comfort of your home. Through these tests, it is possible to:

• Track brain and heart function during sleep
• Identify elevated or decreased levels of activity in the muscles responsible for respiration
• Track blood oxygen levels
• Identify instances of sleep apnea or periods when breathing halts or decreases abnormally.
• Identify the specific type of sleep apnea (if existent)

Sleep Apnea: What Are the Risk Factors?

Many factors can contribute to the prevalence of this type of sleep apnea, from lifestyle choices to natural predispositions.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

1. Health Issues

Individuals with long-term medical issues such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes are more likely to experience obstructive sleep apnea. This condition can drastically affect the quality of life if left untreated. Additionally, hormonal disorders like polycystic ovary syndrome, prior strokes, lung ailments, and asthma can also heighten the chance of experiencing this condition.

2. Obesity

Obesity is a serious health risk associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Fat deposits can build around your upper airway and lead to poor breathing. Additionally, those with thicker necks are more likely to experience narrow airways, increasing the likelihood of OSA.

3. Nasal Congestion

Nasal breathing difficulties can increase the likelihood of developing obstructive sleep apnea, which may be due to physiological issues or an allergic reaction.

4. Genetic Predisposition

Sleeping disorders, such as sleep apnea, may be familial, and those with a family history should take extra precautions. In addition, such habits as consuming alcohol or taking tranquilizers can further worsen the condition by calming throat muscles which cause blockages in breathing.

5. Constricted Respiratory Tract

Inheriting a narrow throat or enlarged tonsils/adenoids can obstruct the airway and impede breathing, especially for children. This easily-overlooked condition requires vigilant attention to ensure healthy respiratory well-being.

6. Age

As individuals age, their risk for developing sleep apnea increases significantly—thus stressing the importance of regular check-ups to identify and diagnose potentially dangerous health conditions.

7. Gender

Although sleep apnea is more prevalent in men, women who are overweight or have gone through menopause may significantly increase their risk of developing the disorder.

8. Vice

Individuals with a smoking habit are more prone to suffering from obstructive sleep apnea - three times higher than those with no prior experience of smoke. One reason for this is the additional inflammation and fluid retention in the airways caused by cigarettes, an effect that does not occur when these substances are absent.

Central Sleep Apnea

1. Age

As people age, they may be more likely to suffer from central sleep apnea—a sleeping disorder that can harm health. Even with extra care and awareness of the potential risk factors, middle-aged and older individuals are particularly vulnerable to this condition.

2. Gender

It has been observed that men are more likely to suffer from central sleep apnea compared to women. This significant difference may provide further insight into how the sexes respond differently regarding this potential health issue.

3. Heart Diseases

Congestive heart failure poses a significant risk to one's health and should not be taken lightly. Therefore, it is essential to seek medical attention to reduce the potential of severe complications down the road.

4. Narcotic Medications

Long-term use of opioids, like methadone, can harm your health as it is associated with an elevated risk of developing central sleep apnea.

5. Stroke

Those with a history of stroke are more likely to develop central sleep apnea, which can affect their well-being. It is essential that individuals who have had a stroke be conscious about monitoring and managing this risk factor.

Say Goodnight to Sleep Apnea

Snoring is frequently perceived as a benign behavior, but it may indicate a serious underlying condition—sleep apnea. This sleep disorder disrupts standard breathing patterns during sleep and can lead to health problems if left untreated.

It's crucial to be aware of the connection between snoring and sleep apnea and to seek medical attention if you or a loved one is experiencing persistent snoring.

Brian Alba, Editorial Staff

Brian's passion for writing drives him to create informative and thought-provoking content. He aims to inspire and educate readers with his work. He is committed to perfecting his craft and pushing the limits of what can be achieved with writing.