How Chronic Snoring Can Ruin Your Sleep

According to one estimate, about half of people snore at some point in their lives. For many of these individuals, snoring is an occasional annoyance when they have congested nasal passages or when they go to bed feeling more tired than usual. For others, snoring is a loud and chronic problem that is a major indicator of a dangerous health condition — obstructive sleep apnea. We will be discussing how this particular type of snoring can ruin your quality of sleep and endanger your overall health and well-being.

Snoring as a Sign of Sleep Apnea

Snoring by itself isn’t a major cause for concern. It’s simply the sound that is produced when the flow of air causes tissues in the throat to vibrate. However, in those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), those tissues block the airway altogether, leading to repeated pauses in breathing throughout the night. These blockages disrupt the sleep cycle and make it impossible for a person to get a solid night of high-quality rest.

Complications of Chronic Snoring

High-quality sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy life. In fact, it’s just as important, if not more important, than good eating habits and regular exercise. Lack of sleep is associated with numerous health risks. If your loud, chronic snoring is a sign of OSA, you could face some serious consequences, including:

• Daytime fatigue
• Slowed reaction times that increase your chances of being in an accident
• An increased risk of hypertension
• An increased risk of heart attack and stroke
• Irritability, mood swings, and depression
• Excess weight gain (which can in turn make snoring and OSA even worse)

Is Your Snoring a Threat?

If you snore frequently, you should not dismiss the problem without seeking professional help from a sleep expert. A sleep study, a non-invasive diagnostic procedure that can be done in a lab or at home, can let you know whether your snoring is a minor issue or if it is part of a bigger issue – obstructive sleep apnea. After the test, a sleep medicine expert analyzes the results and lets you know if you have any conditions that are robbing you of high-quality sleep and require treatment.

If you have sleep apnea, receiving an official diagnosis from a medical professional will enable you to begin exploring your treatment options. While the most commonly-known treatment for OSA is a CPAP machine, many patients experience total relief from snoring and sleep apnea with the help of a custom-fit oral appliance. This appliance is a small, mouthguard-like device that repositions the jaw, allowing for unhindered breathing at night. 

Chronic snoring is nothing to take lightly. Seeking diagnosis and treatment for the problem could increase the quality of your sleep and protect your overall health.

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Mogell, a board-certified specialist in dental sleep medicine with over 10 years of experience treating sleep breathing disorders, is the founder and primary practitioner of Florida Dental Sleep Disorders. The practice has four South Florida locations: Boca Raton, Melbourne, Vero Beach, and Jupiter. To learn more about Florida Dental Sleep Disorders and Dr. Kenneth Mogell, contact our team at 844-294-7559.