Loud snoring is annoying and at times seems comical, but there is more to a snore. Obstructive Sleep Apnea affects more than 40 Million people and leads to many very serious medical issues. A clear case sign is snoring, which is the sound made by a partial obstruction in the airway passage. The larger problem to snoring is when this obstruction turns into a complete airway blockage, which means your brain is not receiving the proper oxygen for at least 10 seconds or more.
Can you imagine holding your breath for 10 seconds or more, every minute for 7 hours? No way! If you were to hold your breath that long and often you would feel exhausted, light-headed, faint, and headaches. Now imagine doing that every day, 365 days a year. Can you imagine how dangerous that can be to your body, your heart, brain, lungs, and immune system?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is putting your body through this rigorous stress every night. Snoring is not just an irritating problem but can be a seriously overlooked sign of Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea can result in excessive sleepiness, irritability, memory loss, depression, and weaker metabolism. It also makes existing medical conditions worsen such as weight gain, acid reflux, diabetes, and heart complications like Atrial fibrillation.
Maybe you know someone who is experiencing some of these problems but not addressing their sleep apnea. These side effects are serious medical issues. Many people who are experiencing these issues may be missing the signs. It is time to stop and think, what does that loud snore really mean?
