Although people who snore loudly are frequently the target of bad jokes and the occasional victims of middle‐of‐the‐night elbow thrusts, snoring is no laughing matter. Loud snoring can be a sign that somethingis seriously wrong with your breathing during sleep. Snoring is a sign that the airway is not fully open and the distinctive sound of snoring comes from efforts to force air through the narrowed passageway.
It is estimated that 10–30% of adults snore. For most sufferers, snoring has no serious medical consequences. But for an estimated 5% of people, extremely loud, habitual snoring can be the first sign of the more serious disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA). OSA has a particular pattern of breathing during the night with pauses in the snoring followed by gasps as the breathing starts again. These pauses
can last from a few seconds to over a minute and can occur hundreds of times a night.
OSA can seriously disturb sleep producing extreme levels of sleepiness during the day interfering with
work and personal life, often without the sufferer knowing the cause. People with OSA may have trouble concentrating and can become unusually forgetful, irritable, anxious, or depressed. These problems can appear suddenly or can emerge gradually over time. If these problems emerge over time it is common for sufferers to ascribe the sleepiness during the day to the consequences of normal ageing. Because OSA puts a strain on the body it can trigger high blood pressure, heart failure, heart attacks and stroke and has been linked to a significant increased risk of car accidents due to the daytime sleepiness.
Often people with OSA seek help for disturbed sleep not realising that OSA may be to blame. People with
OSA may notice that they are waking frequently during the night, gasping for air and thrashing about in their sleep. Because the sufferer is often not aware of what is happening during the night, information from the bed partner is all important. Sufferers may complain of morning headaches and loss of interest in sex, and men may experience erectile failure. OSA is most often found in middle‐aged men but anyone can
suffer OSA, even children. OSA is more common in pregnancy particularly during the final trimester and has been associated with conditions such as preeclampsia/hypertension, and gestational diabetes (it should be noted that snoring has even been linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes).
It is imperative to seek medical advice if you or your bed partner suspect either of you suffer from OSA.
OSA can usually be effectively treated. If you have mild sleep apnoea, treatment may include advice on lifestyle management, including helping people lose weight, stop smoking and/or decrease alcohol consumption. Serious OSA is routinely treated with a device known as CPAP (Continuous Positive
Airway Pressure). This device uses air pressure to keep the upper airway open thus reducing the number of apnoea, and CPAP works very effectively in most people. However, you actually have to wear it for it to work. Other treatments such as mandibular positioning devices are also available and are useful for
some patients. You should consult your GP about the available options
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