Stop That Snore!

By Medical Expert Team

Jun 30 , 2014 | 1 min read

Does your loud snoring disturb others at home? Don't just ignore it as a sign of sound sleep after a hard day's work. Doctors say snoring is a serious medical condition and can lead to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS).

OSAS patients have a serious risk of:

Day time sleepiness - one can sleep while driving a car or working
Lack of concentration
Loss of Memory
High Blood Pressure
Loss of Libido
Increased risk of irregular heart beats
Chances of sudden heart attacks while sleeping increased by 24 times

Paralysis Children can also have OSAS. They became hyperactive, irritable and poor performers in studies. Growth may be retarded if OSAS continues unchecked.

Reason of OSAS:

When air passes through narrow obstructive airway negative pressure is created along the passage of air; making soft tissues vibrate and produces sound of Snoring.When obstruction worsens, breathing becomes erratic and oxygen levels reduce. Decrease in oxygen leads to sinister effects of Snoring. Deep sleep gets affected and the person gets up not feeling fresh in the morning and this results in day time sleepiness. Fortunately all of this is treatable.

Treatment:

It is important to consider the cause and severity of this ailment. Identifying the cause can help one to choose the right treatment modality.Details of treatment are individualized and are best discussed with your ENT Specialist.

Self Help:

Sleep on either side Elevate the head of your bed Limit alcohol and sleep medication Exercise regularly Lose weight Self-Assessment: Epworth sleepiness scale can measure degree of seriousness of the problem.