Every Woman
Surviving Snoring: Getting a Good Night's Rest
 Almost everyone is likely to snore at one time or another in their life. In fact, it has been found that all age groups snore. Chronic snoring has been found in about 24% of adult women and 40% of adult men, and the incidence of snoring increases in both men and women as they age.
Snoring is more common in people who are overweight and also appears to run in families. Your likelihood of snoring may also increase if you:
- Are pregnant
- Drink alcohol
- Use muscle relaxers
- Use drugs
- Smoke
But snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a disorder with potentially fatal consequences.
Dr. Ziad Shaman of the MetroHealth Center for Sleep Medicine and MetroHealth Premier Health Center in Westlake answers some common questions about snoring.
| My husband snores loudly at night — why? |
Snoring is a sound made in the upper airway of your throat when you sleep. The muscles of the throat relax, partially blocking the airway causing the tissue in the back of your throat to vibrate.
About one-half of all people that snore loudly have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when the tissue either completely or partially blocks the airway causing a complete blockage of airflow.
When this happens your body wakes up. It can happen so quickly that you aren’t even aware of it. This disrupts the overall sleep process.
| What can he do to stop snoring and get a good night's sleep? |
An overnight sleep study can determine what happens with your breathing while you sleep. This test is done in a sleep center. MetroHealth has three convenient sleep centers, with the newest one in Westlake.
The most common sleep recording used to find out if you have sleep apnea is called a polysomnogram. It is painless. The staff at the sleep center monitors your sleep throughout the night. The results of your test will be analyzed by a sleep specialist to see if you have apnea, how severe it is, and what treatment may be recommended.
Get a good night’s sleep! To schedule an appointment with Dr. Shaman in Westlake or with any of our expert sleep physicians, call the MetroHealth Center for Sleep Medicine at 216-778-3441.
Related Links
|
