Your spouse's snorting and snoring through the night is certainly irritating, but could it be deadly? Snoring is a common symptom of a condition called apnea in which a person's breathing is interrupted during sleep. In addition to the risks associated with sudden breaks in respiration, sleep apnea is also a significant risk factor for developing heart conditions, including heart rate irregularities. Fortunately, lifestyle changes such as improving your exercise habits can help reduce the symptoms and dangers of apnea.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition in which an individual experiences several pauses in breathing during sleep. Individuals with apnea are pulled out of deep sleep frequently throughout the night by their inability to breathe, and a common side effect of the condition is daytime lethargy. Apnea is difficult to diagnose because daytime sleepiness has a large differential diagnosis, and there is no in-office test for apnea. The only way to diagnose the condition is with an overnight sleep study called a polysomonography. Family members are often a considerable help in diagnosing apnea, since they may notice changes in the patient's sleep patterns, such as snoring or restlessness.
Heart Problems
Left untreated, sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and heart failure. Additionally, apnea increases the risk that the individual will develop irregularities in his heart rhythm, known as arrhythmias. Finally, the most serious concern for apnea patients is that the combination of cardiovascular problems and the failure to breathe will lead to nocturnal sudden death.
Treatment
The most common type of apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. With this condition, one or multiple parts of the upper respiratory airway becomes blocked during sleep. To treat moderate to severe cases, the patient is equipped with a continuous positive airway pressure, C-PAP, or a bi-level, BI-PAP, machine to keep his breathing easy and unobstructed through the night. The C-PAP machine blows air in at one pressure through a nose mask, while the BI-PAP machine supplies air at two different pressures.
Exercise
Sleep apnea is often, but not always, accompanied by overweight or obesity. Mild apnea may be resolved entirely by lifestyle changes like losing weight and improving physical fitness. Moderate to severe apnea may be treated with regular exercise and weight loss. Additionally, exercise lowers the risk of the cardiovascular problems associated with this condition. If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, ask your physician to help you develop a personalized diet and fitness regimen.
References
- Healthy Resources: Sleep Apnea, the Phantom Cause of Heart Disease and Accidents; Jerry Halberstadt
- Healthy Resources: Sleep Apnea, Snoring & the Heart; Clive Layton, MD
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Sleep Apnea; August 2010
- Stanford University: Sleep Apnea Information and Resources; March 1999
