Do you have a spouse that snores? Or is it you?

It may be more than just snoring. It could be Sleep Apnea.

Sleep Apnea is a common disorder that causes your breathing to stop or get very shallow. 

There are three different types of sleep apnea, but the most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It occurs when throat muscles relax and block the flow of air into the lungs

Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. 

Sleep apnea is a dangerous condition because it can cause several different complications, many of which are severe or life-threatening. These include

• Heart Damage 
• Heart Failure. 
• Strokes

Sleep apnea causes an increase in pressure in the blood vessels around your heart and on some of the chambers of your heart itself. 

Here are the symptoms:

• Loud snoring.
• Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep — which would be reported by another person.
• Gasping for air during sleep.
• Awakening with a dry mouth.
• Morning headache.
• Difficulty staying asleep, known as insomnia.
• Excessive daytime sleepiness, known as hypersomnia.
• Difficulty paying attention while awake.
• Irritability.

If you believe your loved one (or you) may have sleep apnea, it’s important to talk to your health provider about it. There are a variety of treatments but just losing 10% of your body weight can make a big improvement in sleep apnea!