Do not ignore know more about your snore

Sleep-disordered breathing is a very common clinical problem. Sleep apnea is a condition that makes you stop breathing for short periods while you are asleep. There are two types of sleep apnea. One is called "obstructive sleep apnea", and the other is called "central sleep apnea." Obstructive sleep apnea is more commonly encountered form of sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, you stop breathing because your throat narrows or closes. In central sleep apnea, you stop breathing because your brain does not send the right signals to your muscles to make you breathe. When people talk about sleep apnea, they are usually referring to obstructive sleep apnea, says Dr. Kodati Rakesh, consultant Pulmonologist, Star Hospitals, Hyderabad

The changes that take place in breathing during sleep may take the form of discrete episodes of absent or reduced breathing.  Patients who are obese are more likely to have this disease, this usually occurs in them due to excess fat deposition around the upper airway/throat causing narrowing /collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Smoking and alcoholism usually aggravates the severity of the disease.

The main symptoms of sleep apnea are loud snoring, tiredness, and excessive daytime sleepiness. People with sleep apnea do not know that they stop breathing when they are asleep. But they do sometimes wake up startled or gasping for breath. They also often hear from their bed partners that they snore. Other symptoms can include restless sleep, waking up choking or gasping, morning headaches, waking up often to urinate, trouble thinking clearly or remembering things. Some people with sleep apnea don't have symptoms, or they don't know they have them. They might figure that it's normal to be tired or to snore a lot.

People with sleep apnea do not get good-quality sleep, so they are often tired and not alert. This puts them at risk for car accidents and other types of accidents. This disease will cause imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood when u snore and have its effect on the heart. This result in poor control of hypertension (BP) and worsening of heart related problems including heart attacks.  Even this disease has effect on brain resulting n poor attention and memory deficits.

Yes. If your doctor or nurse suspects you have sleep apnea, he or she might send you for a "sleep study." Sleep studies can sometimes be done at home, or in a sleep lab of the hospital. For the study, you spend the night in the lab, and you are hooked up to different machines that monitor your heart rate, breathing, and other body functions. The results of the test will tell your doctor or nurse if you have the disorder.

The most effective treatment for sleep apnea is a device that keeps your airway open while you sleep. Treatment with this device is called "continuous positive airway pressure," or CPAP. People getting CPAP wear a face mask at night that keeps them breathing. If your doctor or nurse recommends a CPAP machine, try to be patient about using it. The mask might seem uncomfortable to wear at first, and the machine might seem noisy, but using the machine can really pay off. People with sleep apnea who use a CPAP machine feel more rested and generally feel better.

There are also another device that you wear in your mouth called an "oral appliances". It also helps keep your airway open while you sleep. But devices do not work as well as CPAP for treating sleep apnea. In rare cases, when nothing else helps, doctors recommend surgery to keep the airway open. 

Here are some things that might help: Stay off your back when sleeping, lose weight, if you are overweight, avoid alcohol and smoking, because it can make sleep apnea worse. As mentioned above, weight loss can help if you are overweight or obese. But losing weight can be challenging, and it takes time to lose enough weight to help with your sleep apnea. Most people need other treatment while they work on losing weight

For More Details: Dr. Kodati Rakesh, consultant Pulmonologist, Star Hospitals, Hyderabad