Sleep Apnea and Snoring

Are Sleep Apnea and Snoring inter-related?

Though both Sleep Apnea and Snoring fall into the category of sleep-disordered breathing they are not the same thing. Snoring is not sleep apnea, and sleep apnea is not snoring. Sleep apnea is the complete blockage of the airway for several seconds whereas snoring is a partial blockage of the airway. Snoring is simply a loud sound that you make during breathing while asleep. Snoring may accompany sleep apnea, but only snoring does not mean that breathing has stopped. A person with sleep apnea can snore but it's not necessary that a person who snores have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is usually obstructive since the breathing passage between the nose and the voice box is blocked. Snoring usually occurs due to vibration of the tissue in the throat, usually while the patient is breathing through the mouth. It is a common annoyance affecting 20% of the adult population. Snoring by itself is not necessarily dangerous, but it may be a symptom of sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, which can be dangerous.

The consequences or effects of sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness, depression, fatigue headaches, cognitive dysfunction, poor memory and judgment impairment, irritability, deceased libido, hypertension, nocturia, sweating, and an increased tendency for accidents. Snoring has many social consequences, which include marital discord, separate bedrooms, even separation and divorce, and angry neighbors.

A number of appliances and treatments exist today to treat snoring and sleep apnea disorders. Prosthetic treatment for Sleep apnea and Snoring involves placement of oral appliances like mouthpiece in the mouth to alter jaw position and thereby increase the size of the airway. This is very successful in cases of mild sleep apnea and snoring. There are many other treatment options for sleep apnea and snoring such as:

• Losing weight.
• Limiting the use of alcohol, and tobacco.
• Avoiding smoking.
• Nasal CPAP (Continuous Positive Airflow Pressure) is a procedure in which an appliance forces air at positive pressure into the patient's airway during sleep.
• Surgically straightening the septum of the nose. This usually works well for snoring, and it may be part of the recommended treatment for sleep apnea. Also, it may help the patient better tolerate nasal CPAP.
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure where the soft palate and tissues of the throat are tightened. If tonsils are present, they are also removed at the same time.
• Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a laser device, which is used to remove the uvula and part of the soft palate by vaporizing it. The heat induces a burn, which causes scarring and stiffening of the soft palate. This surgery can stop snoring but is probably not helpful in sleep apnea treatment
• Snoroplasty is a new procedure that involves injection of a sclerosing agent into the palate, which induces soft tissue scarring. It is also relatively painless. Diathermy palatal reduction is an office procedure, which is effective for both mild-to-moderate sleep apnea and snoring
• Other surgical procedures on the back portion (base) of tongue or through the neck

Remember that one kind or method of treatment is not the answer for all patients with sleep apnea and snoring so more than one treatment may be required.