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Is Your Snoring a Symptom of Sleep Apnea?

If your snoring causes you to wake up with a loud snort or gasp several

times during the night, you may have a form of sleep apnea, a serious

condition that can cause breathing to stop.

To be diagnosed with this condition, the patient must have five episodes per

hour of sleep in which he or she must stop breathing for at least 10 seconds per event and have an overall blood

oxygen desaturation level of 3-4% with changes in EEG frequencies and data.

There are two types of sleep apnea

Obstructive variety Caused by the muscles

and tissues of the throat and air

passageway becoming relaxed while sleeping,

blocking airflow into the lungs.

Continuous - stop breathing throughout the night, but instead of the condition being caused

by a blocked air passage, it is caused by the brain temporarily not sending signals to the muscles that control breathing.

Left untreated, this condition can lead to high

blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, depression,

chronic fatigue and diabetes, so if your

snoring wakes you up frequently, see your physician at once.

Following a sleep test, if you are diagnosed with

obstructive sleep apnea, more than likely you will be

treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

(CPAP) which requires you to wear a nasal mask while

asleep.

If positive airway pressure treatment does not work, sometimes surgery is an option. In any case, sleep apnea

is nothing to dismiss and it is important that you talk to your

otolaryngologist to determine the best treatment for you.

Call Today(505) 629-0559

Visit Our websitewww.Sleep-Center-Santa-Fe-NM.com