True story…I went to a men’s retreat. The speaker was inspiring, the daytime activities were really fun… but the nighttime was excruciating. I wanted to pull my hair out.
We all slept in cabins and my cabin mate snored. I do not mean he had a cute little whistle as he slept, like I remember from Popeye cartoons….. Noooooooo, it was more like a bellowing fog horn,..a freight train bearing down on my car stuck at a railroad crossing. The sound was… well, REALLY loud, frightening, maddening, fingernails on the chalkboard annoying (did I mention really loud?).
That jaw-rattling, ground-shaking sound is our bodies telling our neighbors that our brains are being choked and not getting enough oxygen. If you snore, It’s a struggle that can actually kill you or your loved one. That’s not a happy place (picture dead).
Many researchers agree that deaths occur every year from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a five dollar term for “no air”. It’s hard to tell how many people are taking a permanent nap from apnea because often, it causes a deadly heart attack…which kills you. That’s as serious as a heart attack, if you know what I mean. Other common conditions associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea are diabetes, hardening of the Arteries (atherosclerosis) and extreme daytime drowsiness (narcolepsy). There are medications to help with each of these problems, but why not address all of them in one fell swoop?
Kids who snore can have big problems as well. Scientific studies and reviews from sources including Harvard University, Boston Children’s Hospital and National Institutes of Health have been published showing that Kids with severe apnea get lower grades, have more ADD, slower than average cognitive development and poor sleep. It’s all about the oxygen. Oxygen is like…well…oxygen.
Back to the noisy part. Many of you know exactly what I’m talkin’ about because you’ve been there . Your bunk mate’s Mac Truck drives you away with your pillow and blanket to the living room couch or the spare bedroom. Relationships are damaged. It’s hardly intimate to be in a separate bedroom. Life with a snorer is, at times, unmanageable…. It’s not fair, and it’s not necessary because there’s hope for the snorer and the snoree alike.
How can I fix my broken Muffler?
For some, simply losing that excess weight you carry can have an amazing effect on your snoring… and your social life. Give it a try, it’s free and it has a lot of excellent health benefits. Unfortunately, even skinny people sometimes snore. There’s another answer.
After a sleep study to confirm the problem, there are several different ways to help you get more oxygen during sleep.
Part of the problem could be excess tonsillar tissue or some other blockage of the airway. A special x-ray can help to determine that. Your primary care physician can help you find an ENT and steer you in the right direction.
You can strap a mask over your nose to force air into your body. The machine is called a CPAP.
It works like someone giving you CPR all night long ( now doesn’t that sound …well..different…kinda weird?) It’s not as weird as you might think. Your brain and other body parts need lots and lots of oxygen to thrive (…but it sounds like scuba gear…).
Not much for a mask strapped to your face all night, every night? The CPAP actually works well for some folks, but not so great for others. Once you have been diagnosed with Apnea, another effective solution is less expensive and easier to use.
Come see your dentist (wait just a doggone minute… did he say dentist?… dentist?). Yes, your dentist can help you. A simple mouth guard device worn on your teeth can hold your jaw forward, allowing you to get much more air and oxygen into your body. All that noise is created by the loose tissue in our mouth,nose and throat vibrating when air has to be FORCED IN AND OUT. (Sometimes I have to shout to be heard)
Ask your dentist about a snore guard to lead you to a silent night. Instead, you might ask for a life preserver, because that’s what it can be.
It’s also a WIFE preserver… wink wink.
For further information on Obstructive Sleep Apnea: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sleepapnea/
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