Snore Away Medical Group

Snore Away Medical Group, PA

RESCUE LASER THERAPY™ for SNORING and SLEEP APNEA

Snore Away Medical Group

Understanding the Risks

The Severe Impact of Snoring

Discover how snoring can lead to serious health issues and learn about effective treatments to mitigate these risks.

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Many individuals, and their partners, suffer from “Snoring.” Snoring interrupts the peace and tranquility of sleeping (for everyone concerned) and is a form of what is called “Sleep Disordered Breathing” (SDB).

Snoring is actually the “sound” of “obstructed breathing.”

Obstructed breathing can result from abnormal structures in the back of your throat. That includes poor muscle tone, bulky throat tissue, a long soft palate, or a long uvula.

The “uvula” is that part of the fleshy extension of the back of your soft palate which you can easily visualize when your mouth is wide open which hangs above the throat. It looks like a “punching bag” hanging in the back of your throat. It is made of connective tissue and small muscle fibers and secretes saliva to keep your throat well lubricated.

As illustrated, at night, when you are trying to sleep, your tongue and pharyngeal muscles may fall backwards due to size and poor muscle tone, consequently causing a Partial obstruction – that causes Snoring.

When there is Complete obstruction, Sleep Apnea results.

Illustration from Normal Breathing, to snoring complete obstruction of the airway.

These are examples of normal and restricted airway volumes due to airway obstruction:

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Sleep Apnea occurs when there are periods of either “Apnea” or “Hypopnea” – usually Both.

Apnea consists of a period of time when you actually STOP BREATHING and your brain, heart and entire body receive NO OXYGEN. If you stop breathing – or – have a 90% Drop in airflow for 10 seconds, it will be recorded in the Sleep Apnea Test as an “apneic” period.

Hypopnea consists of a partial reduction in breathing for a 10 second period of time and involves at least a 30% drop in airflow.

Metabolic Effects and Risks of Simple Snoring

Simple snoring – that is Snoring not associated with Sleep Apnea – ALSO has SEVERE and SERIOUS metabolic effects and risks.

For instance: SNORING Increases:

(1).    Obesity

(2).    High Blood Pressure

(3).    Heart Attack

(4).    Diabetes

(5).    Metabolic Syndrome

(6).    Triglyceride Levels

(7).    Death Rate

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