This Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an irritating and sometimes serious condition that results in a blockage of a patient’s airway during sleep. During normal sleep, when this airway collapses, the patient and invariably wakes with a start and airway opens again. But what if they are the influence of anesthesia?
Patients who suffer from OSA need to communicate this with their doctors before any surgery is performed on them that will require them to be unconscious. If the patient is there for snoring surgery, obviously this is taken into account.
[click to continue…]
People who snore on a chronic basis are also more likely to suffer from regular bouts of headaches. There is good reason for this, and it isn’t because people’s anti-snoring pillows are too hard.
People who suffer from sleep apnea or simple chronic snoring tend to walk around during the day with a sleep deficit. This deficit is often times relieved with the regular ingestion of caffeine in the form of coffee or other stimulant beverage. Caffeine addiction is known for chronic headaches on a dual level basis; sufferers run the risk of getting headaches from too much caffeine, and are very likely to get headaches during caffeine withdrawal.
[click to continue…]
It is an unspoken truth that men snore more than women, and the reasons for this are more hormonal then notions of what is and is not “lady like”.
Studies during the early 1970s and 80s showed that men snore out of proportion greater than women and that was at a stunning 60 to 1. However, as incredible as it seems, studies performed in the last 10 years have shown that ratio to shift to an even more amazing 2 to 1. Why is this?
As it genuinely baffled the British scientist who did the original study, quite a bit of effort was put in to disprove the more recent studies results. But things such as environmental factors, the fact that women are prescribed antidepressant medication at a rate of eight times more than men, and lifestyle changes all played a role in the new 2 to 1 ratio. Despite this, women are more likely not to make an appointment with their doctors in regards to how to stop snoring due to lingering societal stereotypes.
Obstructive sleep apnea is still more prevalent among men due to the larger pharynx of the male physiology, and the fact that female hormones act to constantly keep women’s airways open during their sleep. But as far as simple chronic snoring, the new 2 to 1 ratio shows that snoring can no longer be considered an exclusively male body function.
We hear also that women actually fart as well, but still have no audio data with which to prove this hypothesis.
When we think about avoidable traffic accidents, alcohol and texting tend to come to mind quicker than other causes. However, recent studies have shown that falling asleep at the wheel is becoming a higher part of the statistics every year.
Much of this is due to the economy and that people are settling for more demanding jobs that require them to drive longer distances as part of their commute. And, as expected, freight and delivery drivers tend to rank quite highly in this statistic.
[click to continue…]
In order to be able to relieve or stop snoring altogether, your doctor will need to know exactly what is causing it. Because snoring generally happens when we’re not conscious, it’s very hard for a patient to have a frame of reference in regards to where that horrific sound is coming from. Also it’s very important to be able to discern run-of-the-mill snoring and OSA (obstructive sleep apnea).
Not everyone’s insurance company will happily pay for nights at a sleep center where doctors monitor patients throughout the course of the night. Therefore the most cost-effective method of giving both the patient and the doctor of a frame of reference in regards snoring sounds is to record them during the night.
[click to continue…]
With most anti-snoring mouthpieces being developed by ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) physicians, it was quite a surprise when a privately practicing dentist from Dallas, Texas came up with one that boasts one of the highest success rates.
In the last three years, over 300 patients have been fitted with the Thornton Adjustable Positioner, or “TAP”, and its popularity has even spread to Great Britain were Dr. Thornton recently taught a course on its proper use to the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association. The device is not meant to be permanent, and it easily adjusts itself for both comfort and progressive ease of snoring symptoms.
[click to continue…]
Well the jury is in, studies that have been published by the American College of Chest Physicians have concluded that snoring is a perfect genetic and runs in families. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre in Ohio’s Dr Maninder Kalra was head of the research project that had examined 681 infants over a 12 month period while also monitoring the activities and habits of their parents.
Children who were born with at least one parent who snored were three times more likely to have the condition themselves. The study adjusted for random factors such as tobacco smoke exposure and environmental conditions, but the results were no less conclusive.
[click to continue…]
Ah, Thanksgiving…
Although it is generally seen as the “warm-up” holiday before Christmas, Thanksgiving will always have a special place in the hearts of Americans who use it as an opportunity to reunite families and feast abundantly upon turkey and dressing and all the traditional fare that comes with this great holiday.
It wasn’t until recently that the connection between tryptophan and turkey was made by medical and biochemical science, but for more than a century, Americans have been taking part in the late afternoon slumber that almost inevitably hits after devouring huge portions of this delicious bird.
[click to continue…]
Even though there is no formal nomenclature assigned to different kinds of snoring, those who have to endure nightly bouts of noise can attest to different decibel levels as the night progresses. This is because of the different sleep stages the body goes through during the course of an average evening.
The human body experiences four distinct stages of sleep that are further divided into two categories; REM and non-REM sleep. Conventional snoring generally occurs in the second and third stages and almost never takes place during REM sleep, whereas snoring that is associated with OAS or sleep apnea usually only occurs in the deepest of sleep and can take place during REM sleep as well.
[click to continue…]
Keeping your loved ones guessing whether or not you may have turned into some obnoxiously loud creature of the night whenever you go to sleep is never the polite thing to do. However, before people start running for whatever stop snoring cures they can find, certain habits should always be taken into consideration.
The 21st century lifestyle isn’t exactly the healthiest, generally speaking. People who find themselves habitually smoking, eating junk food, and indulging in alcohol are at higher risk of chronic medical conditions.
[click to continue…]