Snoring can become annoying, especially if you’re the one who has to listen to it, but if it becomes more severe then it can easily be indicative of bigger problems. For example, if a snorer actually stops breathing for a few moments it may lead to cardiovascular issues. You don’t need us to tell you how life threatening that can be.

The Consequences of Sleep Apnea

This condition, commonly known as sleep apnea, and it involves pauses in the breathing. These pauses can occur five to thirty times per hour depending on the severity of the sleep apnea. When these incidents happen they do wake the individual while they gasp for air but they may be unaware that it is happening. There are three levels of sleep, and if the sleeper is only woken from the REM level, they could be completely unaware. Some of the most common consequences of the person’s health can include:

• High Blood Pressure
• Arrhythmia
• Stroke
• Heart Failure

Heart disease is currently considered the leading cause of death within America, and it is closely followed by a stroke. The most common link between these two is high blood pressure which is a major risk factor for both of them.

Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

There is plenty of evidence proving a link between sleep apnea and hypertension as well as cardiovascular disease. This is not arbitrary speculation – there is plenty of evidence and it is something that needs to be addressed before people become afflicted. This is, after all, a life-threatening situation.

Central Sleep Apnea vs. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

There are two types sleep apnea, both of which are treatable, but both with wildly different causes:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea – This type of sleep apnea is most commonly associated with obesity, which, in itself, is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. In addition to that, the sleep deprivation that is caused by the sleep apnea crease an unhealthy cycle.

Central Sleep Apnea – While this type of sleep apnea is just as detrimental as OSA it happens to be far less common. In this case, the brain is not sending regular signals to the diaphragm for expansion and contraction. Unlike OSA, the snoring in CSA is more limited, even if it does exist to an extent.

Necessary Treatment

As with any other disorder, it is critical to seek treatment and it is even more so important with a condition like sleep apnea. The first step will be to obtain testing whether you are scheduling an at home sleep study or actually heading to a sleep clinic. Either way, getting the right diagnosis and the subsequent treatment can be life-saving. Keep in mind that the correct treatment will involve the issuance of CPAP devices for the patient to wear at night. Once the CPAP is issued, the correct air pressure must be set, and information will be sent to the appropriate doctor’s office to be properly examined. Most of the time, information derived from CPAP machine will be presented as a graph and it will help them to determine if you are receiving the proper treatment, or if the pressure needs to be changed throughout the course of that treatment.

Taking care of sleep apnea is easy even if there is no definitive cure. The CPAP machine will need to be worn until the problem is resolved and while it can be uncomfortable for some, it is a life-saving act that is well worth it.

VirtuOx is the leader in home sleep tests and pulse oximetry.