Snoring & sleep apnea

In order to understand what snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are, you first need to understand that both represent upper airway obstruction. In other words, something is obstructing the free flow of air somewhere between the openings of the nose and into the trachea (wind pipe). Moreover, many believe that if left unchecked, snoring will, in a great number of individuals, lead to significant obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Nasal cavity side viewDepending upon the degree of obstruction, the patient either exhibits partial collapse of the soft tissues of the upper airway and produces a noise, which we refer to as snoring, or with total obstruction of any portion of the collapsible airway, can experience a condition called apnea (total cessation of breathing for 10 seconds or longer), or hypopnea (50% or greater decreased in air exchange for 10 seconds or longer)..

As a direct consequence of obstruction, the C02 in the blood increases and the oxygen level in the patient’s blood decreases proportionate to the severity of the airway obstruction. This disruptive pattern of breathing generates disruptive sleep patterns, the consequences of which being that those individuals exhibit increased fatigability, lethargy, decreased ability to concentrate, increased irritability, and morning headaches. Basically, those individuals are extremely tired due to their inability to get a good night’s sleep.

The immediate consequences of obstructive sleep apnea are readily recognizable. However, not so easily recognizable are the long-term cardiovascular effects secondary to obstructive sleep apnea that lead to an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 cardiovascular/cerebrovascular deaths per year. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea ultimately leads to an increased incidence of pulmonary and systemic high blood pressure and ventricular hypertrophy (thickening of the heart muscle). Moreover, significant decreases in the oxygen saturation of the blood during apneic episodes can lead to potentially lethal arrhythmia (alteration in the rhythm of the heart).