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Have you ever noticed how often snoring is used to get a laugh on TV sitcoms and cartoons? Actually, thereâ??s nothing funny about it. Snoring is a serious medical and social problem that can cause social ridicule, sleeplessness, and a host of serious health problems including obstructive sleep apnea. 25% of adults snore habitually. And without treatment, it doesnâ??t get any better. While overweight males are at the greatest risk, women are not immune, and the problem only grows worse as we age.

Why Do We Snore?

Snoring occurs when the passages at the back of the mouth and nose do not have a free flow of air. This is called â??obstructionâ?? and usually occurs when the soft tissues in that area collapse during sleep, causing the tongue to meet briefly with the soft palate (top part of your mouth in the back) and the uvula (the â??bellâ?? in the back of your throat). The vibrations are what cause the snoring sound.

Snorers may also suffer from:

· Poor oral muscle tone. Relaxed tongue and throat muscles can cut off airflow. Deep sleep, alcohol and sleep medications can contribute to poor muscle tone.

· Large tonsils and adenoids. Excess throat tissue can cause snoring. This is why children sometimes snore. Being overweight can cause excess neck tissue, which is why snoring is more common in overweight individuals. Rarely, a cyst or tumors can be the problem.

· Long uvula and/or soft palate. Individuals with a â??long palateâ?? have a narrower opening between the nose and throat that can create noise during the relaxed breathing of deep sleep. A longer than normal uvula worsens the situation.

· Nasal airway obstruction. Stuffy noses do not have a free flow of air. The extra effort it takes to breathe through a stuffed up nose creates a strong pull on floppy throat tissues, causing a snoring sound. That is why some people experience snoring only during hay fever attacks, a cold or a sinus infection.

· Nose or nasal septum deformities, such as a deviated septum, can cause obstruction.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea often begins with snoring, but can be far more serious. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when snoring is punctuated by long absences of sound lasting ten seconds or more that can happen up to 300 times per night. This lack of sound means the individual is not breathing in between bursts of snoring. Health risks are great and include low blood oxygen levels that make the heart work much harder to bring oxygen to the blood.

Individuals affected with sleep apnea sleep lightly and cannot relax deeply enough to allow sufficient airflow to the lungs. The snorer is left with night after night of poor rest, as well as:

· Daytime sleepiness

· Increased mood swings

· Depression

· Impaired job performance

· Hazardous driving, especially if the individual operates heavy equipment

· Elevated blood pressure

· Enlargement of the heart

Have you ever noticed how often snoring is used to get a laugh on TV sitcoms and cartoons? Actually, thereâ??s nothing funny about it. Snoring is a serious medical and social problem that can cause social ridicule, sleeplessness, and a host of serious health problems including obstructive sleep apnea. 25% of adults snore habitually. And without treatment, it doesnâ??t get any better. While overweight males are at the greatest risk, women are not immune, and the problem only grows worse as we age.

Why Do We Snore?

Snoring occurs when the passages at the back of the mouth and nose do not have a free flow of air. This is called â??obstructionâ?? and usually occurs when the soft tissues in that area collapse during sleep, causing the tongue to meet briefly with the soft palate (top part of your mouth in the back) and the uvula (the â??bellâ?? in the back of your throat). The vibrations are what cause the snoring sound.

Snorers may also suffer from:

· Poor oral muscle tone. Relaxed tongue and throat muscles can cut off airflow. Deep sleep, alcohol and sleep medications can contribute to poor muscle tone.

· Large tonsils and adenoids. Excess throat tissue can cause snoring. This is why children sometimes snore. Being overweight can cause excess neck tissue, which is why snoring is more common in overweight individuals. Rarely, a cyst or tumors can be the problem.

· Long uvula and/or soft palate. Individuals with a â??long palateâ?? have a narrower opening between the nose and throat that can create noise during the relaxed breathing of deep sleep. A longer than normal uvula worsens the situation.

· Nasal airway obstruction. Stuffy noses do not have a free flow of air. The extra effort it takes to breathe through a stuffed up nose creates a strong pull on floppy throat tissues, causing a snoring sound. That is why some people experience snoring only during hay fever attacks, a cold or a sinus infection.

· Nose or nasal septum deformities, such as a deviated septum, can cause obstruction.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea often begins with snoring, but can be far more serious. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when snoring is punctuated by long absences of sound lasting ten seconds or more that can happen up to 300 times per night. This lack of sound means the individual is not breathing in between bursts of snoring. Health risks are great and include low blood oxygen levels that make the heart work much harder to bring oxygen to the blood.

Individuals affected with sleep apnea sleep lightly and cannot relax deeply enough to allow sufficient airflow to the lungs. The snorer is left with night after night of poor rest, as well as:

· Daytime sleepiness

· Increased mood swings

· Depression

· Impaired job performance

· Hazardous driving, especially if the individual operates heavy equipment

· Elevated blood pressure

· Enlargement of the heart

It’s two in the afternoon and you really need a nap. You’re not just tired; you can barely keep your eyes open. It’s possible that you have a condition known as sleep apnea. During the night, you either have an obstruction to your airway or your brain just forgets to tell you to breathe or a combination of the two. Either way, you wake up frequently throughout the night to restart the breathing process and you probably don’t even remember waking. With this kind of interruption, you never get deep enough into recuperative sleep to recharge your batteries. That’s why you are so tired all the time. Oh, and if your family complains about your snoring.. that’s another indicator.
One type of treatment for sleep apnea is called continuous positive airway pressure, i.e. CPAP. This is a machine that helps regulate the pressure to your airway and maintains your breathing. There are a variety of machines and masks available, but they are all basically the same. There are masks that fit just over the nose, and mouth or one that uses prongs inserted into the nose. Air pressure through the mask keeps the throat open and clears the obstructions thus allowing you to breathe normally. Some machines even learn your breathing patterns and help you regulate the pressure accordingly throughout the night.
Once you have found the CPAP respirator that fits you and you are comfortable with, you will enjoy a good night’s sleep. As a result, you also eliminate the threat of cardiovascular problems that are often related to sleep apnea. Anytime the body and the brain are deprived of oxygen, it puts a strain on the heart and increases your risk for stroke and heart failure. So, not only will you be well-rested, your heart will be healthier too.
While the CPAP is a great non-surgical way to treat sleep apnea, it does have a few drawbacks. A lot of these issues occur during your initial use of the machine and tend to disappear after a while.
* Due to the continuous air flow, nose bleeds and sore throats are common.
* You may experience allergy-like symptoms such as congestion and sneezing.
* You may notice more frequent headaches.
* It is possible that you will dream more frequently and experience more nightmares.
* Though it is very rare, there is a small risk of bacterial infection.
* Reduced intimate activity with your partner as a result of wearing the mask.
* It may irritate your skin or be uncomfortable. Your doctor can help improve the fit for you.
These complications are minor compared to the good a CPAP respirator does for you. Over time, you get used to wearing the apparatus (even your family does) and learn to adjust.
Sleep apnea can simply be an annoyance, making you and everyone within earshot tired, but it can also cause serious health problems, even death. Give the machine a try and see how rested you and your family are the next day. You may find energy you never thought you had. It really could give you a new lease on life!

Snoring can be more than annoying to your bed partner. It can mean you have a serious health problem. This is because snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Millions of Americans suffer from OSA, and millions of people who snore – and those who share their bed – seek out over-the-counter medications to alleviate this problem. The problem is rarely fixed, and the suffering continues. One thing those who have OSA or snore can do is to see a dentist who can provide relief. Dental sleep medicine may be the best way to help end snoring and the dangers of OSA.

Oral Appliance Therapy

You have probably seen oral appliance devices sold in the store or advertised in magazines and on TV that promise relief from snoring. They may have the basic concept down: Put this mouth guard in and your snoring will end. However, the problem is that these are usually one-size-fits-all, and may increase the chance for damage to your teeth or jaw. An effective oral appliance is custom-made so that it can address your individual needs, and fit comfortably. Custom-made oral appliances can help when you sleep by:

· Holding the tongue in position

· Pushing the jaw forward

· Tightening the soft tissue to keep your airway open

· Increasing muscle tone

Behavioral Therapy

Many people who snore or have OSA may find their symptoms alleviated by simply changing aspects of their life. People who drink alcohol regularly can cut down on the amount they drink or avoid drinking three hours prior to bedtime. People who smoke can, and should, stop. The effects of smoke on the throat and lungs create problems that can worsen snoring or sleep apnea. Individuals who are overweight or obese often suffer the most severe cases of OSA or snoring. By losing weight, the occurrence of breathing difficulties is reduced. Other behavioral modifications that will help include:

· Avoiding eating heavy meals close to bedtime

· Going to bed at a reasonable hour

· Avoiding antihistamines close to bedtime

· Reducing allergens in the home

Medication

Over-the-counter medications may target those who have trouble falling asleep, but not those who snore or have OSA. Dental sleep medicine targets these issues by prescribing supplements such as anti-snoring pills to be taken before bed. These pills contain different herbs and plant enzymes that reduce congestion and swelling of the tissue in the nose and throat. There are also certain nasal sprays or nose drops that may be beneficial.

Due to the dangerous health problems, such as heart attack or stroke that can arise from OSA you should see a specialist with dental sleep medicine experience.

If your sleep patterns have been disrupted by snoring or believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea, please contact Dr. Ira L. Shapira or visit ihatecpap.com to schedule an initial consultation.

Snoring may seem like a mere annoyance to most people. But sometimes, snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious medical condition that affects over 20 million Americans and drastically reduces their quality of life. In extreme cases, it can lead to death.

The word “apnea” is derived from a Greek word that means “want of breath.” In order to be diagnosed with sleep apnea, one must experience stoppage of breathing for a period of at least ten seconds more than five times in one hour. All of this counteracts the healing, restorative effects that nourishing deep sleep is meant to provide. Sleep is critical to health, just as important as a healthy diet and physical activity.

If it goes untreated for lengths of time, obstructive sleep apnea leads to hypertension, strokes, muscle pain, heart attacks, morning headaches and excessive daytime drowsiness. Many who have mild sleep apnea know that they snore while they sleep. At the same time, they may not link this and their daytime fatigue to the potentially life-threatening larger problems that could eventually make themselves known.

Symptoms

Sleep apnea makes its presence known in a variety of ways. And with the wide array of symptoms, different people may experience widely different combinations of the following:

If you notice you’re experiencing any of these, please keep in mind that they could be indicators of sleep apnea. Ignoring them could potentially result in major health risks, not to mention the diminished day-to-day concentration, which affects things like your job and being an active member of society. One potentially disastrous after-effect to keep in mind is experiencing drowsiness while driving, too. In children, academic underachievement and substandard mental development have been linked to sleep apnea.

Snoring is an indicator that your airway is not completely open. The sound of a snore is made when the air you breathe in has difficulty pushing past this obstructed area.

For most people who snore, the medical consequences are not severe. But for an estimated 5 out of 100 individuals, it is a sign of obstructive sleep apnea.

In addition to snoring, some other symptoms are excessive daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, high blood pressure, being overweight and waking up gasping for breath. Even if you don’t have high blood pressure during the day, you could have it when you first wake up due to the lack of oxygen you get when you do not breathe properly. If you awaken with headaches, this is a good indicator that your blood pressure is high due to respiratory disturbances during your sleep.

After being evaluated by a sleep specialist, if you are found to have sleep apnea, the best treatment for you is a sleep apnea machine, also known as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This is simply a device that sits on your bedside table and delivers air pressure to you via a mask over your nose and mouth.

A CPAP machine will hold your airway open and allow you to breathe like you should. Using a sleep apnea machine will ensure that your oxygen levels stay where they should while you sleep. It will also help you to achieve a restful nights sleep so that you feel refreshed the next day.

There are serious consequences of leaving sleep apnea untreated. A CPAP machine is the optimum choice to maintain your health and overall well being.

Many studies on sleep patterns have been done throughout the years. Sleep experts say we need between six and eight hours of sleep to feel rested and function at our best during the day. For some, this simply means going to bed at a reasonable time. However, there are people who cannot feel rested no matter what time they go to bed because they snore, share the bed with someone who snores, or suffer from sleep apnea. Losing an hour or more of sleep a night because of snoring can add up over time. In the case of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the consequences can affect the health of the individual.

OSA is a condition in which an individual stops breathing due to their airway collapsing during sleep and blocking their breathing for up to ten seconds each time. When the OSA is serious, this cessation can occur more than 30 times an hour. These cessations in breathing cause the blood oxygen levels to decrease dramatically. Lower oxygen levels in the blood raise the threat of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.

Causes of Sleep Apnea and Snoring

As we sleep, our muscles are relaxed. When the tongue and throat muscles relax, they can block the airway. A partial collapse of the airway results in the sound we call snoring. A complete collapse of the airway cuts off breathing and results in an apneic event. When this happens, you will wake up and begin breathing again because your muscles are no longer relaxed. This may happen as little as five times every hour, or as many as 30 or more times an hour. Obviously, your sleep pattern is going to be affected.

People who are obese, smoke, or consume alcohol have a higher chance of snoring and a greater risk of OSA. Men are more likely to suffer from OSA than women are.

Oral Appliances

If you suffer from snoring or have been diagnosed by a sleep apnea specialist, you may find treatment through oral appliance therapy. Oral appliances are custom-fitted for each patient to minimize the effects of snoring or sleep apnea in a variety of ways. By correcting the position of the jaw, or repositioning the jaw, the tongue and soft tissue will no longer interfere with your airway. One of the most effective oral appliances is the SomnoDent mandibular advancement splint (MAS), manufactured by SomnoMed.

SomnoDent MAS

The SomnoDent MAS is worn over the teeth, much like a sports mouth guard, as you sleep. It pushes the jaw forward from its natural position and, like other oral appliances, keeps the tongue in position and tightens the soft tissue to keep your airway open. Studies have shown that over 60% of patients who wear SomnoDent MAS experience a complete halt in OSA, and those who still have symptoms have a 50% decrease in the severity of their sleep apnea. Episodes of snoring decreased 43% in studies and lowered the volume of snoring (something your bed partner would probably be grateful for).

SomnoDent MAS features a patented â??fin-couplingâ? component which allows the wearer to speak and drink as they normally would.

If you suffer from snoring or believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea and are interested in finding out if SomnoDent MAS by SomnoMed is right for you, please contact Dr. Ira L. Shapira at the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center for a free consultation.

Many studies on sleep patterns have been done throughout the years. Sleep experts say we need between six and eight hours of sleep to feel rested and function at our best during the day. For some, this simply means going to bed at a reasonable time. However, there are people who cannot feel rested no matter what time they go to bed because they snore, share the bed with someone who snores, or suffer from sleep apnea. Losing an hour or more of sleep a night because of snoring can add up over time. In the case of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the consequences can affect the health of the individual.

OSA is a condition in which an individual stops breathing due to their airway collapsing during sleep and blocking their breathing for up to ten seconds each time. When the OSA is serious, this cessation can occur more than 30 times an hour. These cessations in breathing cause the blood oxygen levels to decrease dramatically. Lower oxygen levels in the blood raise the threat of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke.

Causes of Sleep Apnea and Snoring

As we sleep, our muscles are relaxed. When the tongue and throat muscles relax, they can block the airway. A partial collapse of the airway results in the sound we call snoring. A complete collapse of the airway cuts off breathing and results in an apneic event. When this happens, you will wake up and begin breathing again because your muscles are no longer relaxed. This may happen as little as five times every hour, or as many as 30 or more times an hour. Obviously, your sleep pattern is going to be affected.

People who are obese, smoke, or consume alcohol have a higher chance of snoring and a greater risk of OSA. Men are more likely to suffer from OSA than women are.

Oral Appliances

If you suffer from snoring or have been diagnosed by a sleep apnea specialist, you may find treatment through oral appliance therapy. Oral appliances are custom-fitted for each patient to minimize the effects of snoring or sleep apnea in a variety of ways. By correcting the position of the jaw, or repositioning the jaw, the tongue and soft tissue will no longer interfere with your airway. One of the most effective oral appliances is the SomnoDent mandibular advancement splint (MAS), manufactured by SomnoMed.

SomnoDent MAS

The SomnoDent MAS is worn over the teeth, much like a sports mouth guard, as you sleep. It pushes the jaw forward from its natural position and, like other oral appliances, keeps the tongue in position and tightens the soft tissue to keep your airway open. Studies have shown that over 60% of patients who wear SomnoDent MAS experience a complete halt in OSA, and those who still have symptoms have a 50% decrease in the severity of their sleep apnea. Episodes of snoring decreased 43% in studies and lowered the volume of snoring (something your bed partner would probably be grateful for).

SomnoDent MAS features a patented â??fin-couplingâ? component which allows the wearer to speak and drink as they normally would.

If you suffer from snoring or believe you may have obstructive sleep apnea and are interested in finding out if SomnoDent MAS by SomnoMed is right for you, please contact Dr. Ira L. Shapira at the Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Center for a free consultation.

Sleep Apnea is a disorder that commonly affects more than 12 million people in the United States. While the exact cause of remains unclear, what’s known is that the site of obstruction in most patients is the soft palate, including the area at the base of the tongue.
During the day, muscles in the region keep the passage open and clear; but since there’s no bone or cartilage in this area to hold the airway open, when a person with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) falls asleep, the muscles relax and the airway collapses.
Besides interrupting sleep and causing disorientation and “fogginess” during the waking hours, the dangers to overall health are many.
The primary risk factors for OSA are:
Excessive Weight – The accumulation of fat on the sides of the upper airway cause it to become narrow and predisposed to closure when the muscles relax.
Age – Loss of muscle mass is a common consequence of the aging process, leaving the airway narrow and soft. Men have a greater risk for OSA.
Male Hormones – Testosterone can cause structural changes in the upper airway.
Other risk factors include: A receding chin… Enlarged tonsils and adenoids… Use of drugs that affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) such as alcohol, tranquilizers, etc. … Smoking … Chronic nasal congestion… and several syndromes such as hypothyroidism, post-polio syndrome, neuromuscular disorders, Marfan’s syndrome, and Down syndrome, to name a few. Although to date there is no hard data to confirm this theory, it’s also believed that there’s a genetic factor involved.
The signs and symptoms of OSA are many and varied and many are not overtly medical. (For example, non-restorative sleep leads to such things as car accidents, bad moods, memory problems, depression and even impotence.)
Some common signs that you may have OSA are:
Loud Snoring – This is perhaps the most common sign that a person’s airway is obstructed, and the complaint that initially brings many undiagnosed OSA patients to their doctors for help. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but if other signs are present, as well, it’s a distinct possibility.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness – Some people with OSA fall asleep while reading or watching TV. Others experience powerful urges to doze off even in a stimulating environment, such as while driving or during business meetings – even while having sex!
Unrefreshing Sleep – Many OSA patients complain of waking up feeling as if they had been awake all night (usually, they have been, in fact). Then, if they try to refresh themselves with a nap, they usually feel worse after napping than they did before.
Drowsiness While Driving – Statistics show that many car accidents are caused by drivers either nodding off at the wheel or else being too sleepy to be alert.
Morning Headaches – Frequent, unexplained headaches are a common sign of OSA.
Frequent Nighttime Urination – Getting up to use the bathroom several times a night may be caused by an apneic event.
If your doctor does diagnose OSA, then you’ll be relieved to know that a CPAP sleep apnea machine will give you relief and protection as soon as you start using it.

Sleep apnea (or apnoea) is a surprisingly common sleep disorder characterized by a person’s breathing periodically ceasing temporarily during sleep. It can happen dozens or hundreds of times during a night, when weak muscles supporting the back of the throat allow the airway to become blocked.
More rarely what happens is the breathing signal is not sent from the brain to the diaphragm.
It is a treatable condition, with several options open to patients. The simplest and most common treatment is the use of a sleep apnea machine known as a CPAP sleep apnea machine. (CPAP is an abbreviation for Constant Positive Airway Pressure.)
Although not directly life-threatening, sleep apnea is a serious condition which has the potential to significantly affect a sufferer’s quality of life.
In normal human sleeping patterns, a person progresses through five stages of sleep, eventually going into “deep sleep.” Deep sleep is when dreaming and REM (rapid eye movement) occur and when most restorative functions happen. And you return to almost wakefulness approximately every ninety minutes. Thus, people who wake two or three times in a night are probably actually getting good quality sleep.
In cases of sleep apnea, the sufferer effectively falls unconscious in their sleep, immediately before the brain rouses the body in response to the blocked airway. One with this condition without realizing it could be going through a cycle of passing out and waking every few minutes all night long. This affects the quality of sleep in two ways.
First, oxygen deprivation is harmful to the brain at any time and makes it impossible for sleep to be restful.
Second, because the sufferer may be going through a cycle of waking and going back to sleep every few minutes, they have little opportunity for the most restful, deep sleep.
Symptoms can include snoring, a tendency to fall asleep during the day during any idle period, feeling very tired upon waking, possibly in conjunction with a morning headache, and secondary effects from the reduced quality of sleep, such as depression and anxiety, along with the associated symptoms of those conditions.
Diagnosis for sleep apnea used to be complicated, requiring a specialist’s attention, and possibly a night or two in a sleep laboratory. Fortunately, as awareness of this somewhat common condition becomes more widespread, so too have diagnosis and treatment options.
Upon consultation with a physician, you can get a sleep apnea machine that monitors your body’s vital signs during sleep by use of simple apparatus worn on the arm, allowing you to sleep in your own bed.
Because you are probably more comfortable in familiar surroundings, and the monitoring is done in the same environment you normally sleep in, the results obtained from such analysis can be more valuable to your sleep specialist or doctor.
If sleep apnea is diagnosed, there are a number of treatment options available. The most basic, if applicable, is to lose weight, as obesity is a known cause of this condition. Unfortunately, this may only lower the severity of the problem in many patients, and is not the only cause.
In any acute case, further intervention is required. One option is surgery, but again, this will not work for everyone and is an expensive and undesirable option for many people.
This leaves the most common treatment, which is the use of a sleep apnea machine known as a CPAP. A CPAP sleep apnea machine (Constant Positive Airway Pressure) is a device which has a tube worn in the mouth during sleep which provides a slight positive pressure but otherwise, allows the wearer to breathe normally.
This has the effect of keeping the airway open at all times during sleep, making for more restful, better quality sleep, and better quality of life.
There are various models of CPAP machines available. Some offer more advanced features, such as a reduction of pressure while exhaling, so you are not breathing against the flow of air so much.
Also, offered are more advanced monitoring of use, options for upgradeable firmware to keep the device current with the latest technology, and the ability to link the sleep apnea machine to your PC.
Obviously, less expensive, more basic models are available, and can be completely autonomous, requiring little further configuration by the user.