Snoring can be an indicator of many things; congestion, allergies, or something more serious – like sleep apnea. Typically, however, snoring indicates a sleep disorder like sleep apnea when it’s excessively loud. For instance, if you sleep next to someone, they may frequently complain about how loud you are throughout the night – or you could even end up waking the whole house! If this sounds familiar to you, don’t ignore your snoring. While it may be difficult to reach a diagnosis – if left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can actually lead to other, more dangerous, health complications.
What Causes You To Snore?
Snoring is caused by an obstruction in your airway, whether it’s from congestion (like seasonal allergies) or relaxing muscles. With obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the reason snoring is so common is because OSA actually causes your throat muscles to relax, ultimately closing your airway for periods of time throughout the night. But remember, just because you snore doesn’t mean you have sleep apnea – and vice versa, if you don’t snore, you could still have sleep apnea.
How Do You Diagnose Sleep Apnea?
Unfortunately, sleep apnea is one of the most commonly undiagnosed and misdiagnosed health conditions. Given the nature of its symptoms, it’s easy to understand why – they typically occur while you’re unconscious! And the symptoms you may experience during your awake hours can actually indicate other health conditions – like fatigue or depression. But, diagnosing sleep apnea begins with your doctor. If you’re able to, have a partner who sleeps close to or with you explain what they witness throughout your sleep cycle – gasping for air, breathing cessations, loud snoring, etc. If your doctor suspects a sleep disorder, they’ll recommend a sleep study be done to reach a confirmed diagnosis.
Don’t wait to consult with your doctor if you’re snoring is waking up the whole house!
