Whenever we live alone there are stuff that we feel much more comfortable doing because they don't bother anybody, for example burping, passing gas and loud snoring. But snoring, unlike the other two, can represent an issue even for those who live alone, particularly when the snoring is a result of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is really a long-term medical condition that occurs when a person stops breathing or takes shallow breaths several instances as they sleep. The pauses in breathing may be as short as a couple of seconds or even as long as minutes, with the breathing interruptions commonly taking place between 5 and 30 or more times hourly. The condition generally disturbs someone's sleep between three and 5 times every week.

Just because a particular person snores does not mean that they have apnea, but chronic snorers are wise to contact their physician or perhaps a sleep specialist to be tested for the condition.

Obstructive sleep apnea is easily the most common form of apnea. It happens when an airway is partially or totally blocked, causing shallow breaths or a cessation in breathing. Then, because the body's need for oxygen strengthens the autonomic breathing response, air pushes past the obstruction, producing an unusually loud snoring sound and causing the person to move from deep sleep to light sleep. Given the fact that the breathing disturbances usually occur multiple times each hour throughout the night, the individual does not achieve prolonged deep sleep, leaving them feeling tired the next day.

Many apnea suffers seek treatment only after their bed partners have commented in depth on the snoring. But when you reside alone, that isn't going to happen. Therefore, if you know that you simply snore and you awaken feeling tired even though you are feeling that you slept the night time through, it makes sense to consult with a sleep medicine center. Left unchecked, apnea can put an individual in danger of high blood pressure levels, heart failure, stroke, hypertension, heart attack, irregular heartbeats, obesity and other serious health conditions. And like all long term sleep issues, apnea weakens an individual's immune system. Insufficient sleep decreases the potency of immune cells, compromising their ability to fight off infections.

There are many effective treatments for obstructive apnea, including positive airway pressure therapy, which includes a nasal or facial mask that maintains a wide open upper airway; medical therapies consisting of various medications; oral appliance therapy, which supplies a mouth device that trains the low jaw to hold a position that helps resolve apnea; positioning and weight reduction therapies that resolve apnea by weight reduction or head positioning during sleep; and occasionally surgical therapy.

The majority of the therapies require some dedication on the part of the patient, but patient testimonials reveal a chance to acclimate to the therapies and, ultimately, to the therapies' great success. While the snoring facet of sleep apnea may not appear to be a problem if you reside alone, resolving your apnea will prevent you from possibly experiencing a bevy of health related problems down the road.

Whenever we live alone, we might think that it isn't a problem if we snore. Yet, while our snoring might not wake anyone, maybe it's a manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep issues. Left unchecked, it poses serious risks to our overall health.