So snorers and those with sleep apnea sit at different ends of the spectrum. At one end of the spectrum, you have people who do not snore and breathe quietly during sleep. Then you have people who simply snore at the other end of the spectrum. You have people who snore, but they snore heavily and in between the snoring they'll actually stop breathing, and that is usually because some part of their throat their larynx or pharynx has obstructed and then it will continue to do that at intervals throughout the night.
The consequence of having obstructive sleep apnea is it disturbs your quality of sleep it affects your daytime function. In an adult, it will mean excessive sleepiness throughout the day and certainly, if you're diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea the DVLA will ask you to relinquish your license until such time you've had an effective treatment for your obstructive sleep apnea. Obviously, there are degrees of sleep apnea, and they certainly wouldn't count mild cases of sleep apnea.
Treatment is usually around weight loss, improving the tone of your neck muscles and in most circumstances, that may mean wearing what we call a CPAP device is a mask that fits over the nose which pushes in air under pressure and keeps your airway open. In some cases, a dental splint has been shown as an effective alternative to a CPAP device. If we talk about simple snorers, this is usually a social handicap and there are surgical interventions that can be indicated in managing these patients. But on the whole, they're not reliable and some patients are prone to relapse and have recurrences of snoring over time.
There are 4 things you can do about sleep apnea:
- Do nothing - the least effective treatment.
- Have surgery - painful and effective in about 50% of cases.
- Be fitted with a specially designed dental splint - less invasive and effective in about 80% of cases.
- Wear a CPAP device - possibly a social hinderance but effective 100% of the time if you can keep it on overnight.
The most important takeaway from this is to do something! Consult with your medical practitioner and take action to reduce the increased risks of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes that come with sleep apnea!
As found on Youtube
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