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Risk of death Sleep apnea When snoring becomes a mortal danger
Snoring is not only annoying for the partner. It prevents a restful sleep and may be accompanied by respiratory failure. Physicians call this syndrome "sleep apnea". Those affected should not take snoring lightly. It can lead to hypertension and a heart attack.
Snoring can be associated with dangerous breathing interruptions
If there is loud snoring in the bedroom at night, it is no longer possible to sleep for sensitive bed neighbors. If in doubt, help with earplugs or separate bedrooms. But even the snorer himself usually finds no rest during sleep. The result is chronic fatigue, concentration problems, less desire for sex and headaches after waking up. Snoring is sometimes an indication of serious health problems.
(Image: lunaundmo / fotolia.com) When snoring, the suppository and the palate tissue begin to flutter. Mostly, a flaccid tongue and throat muscles when falling asleep, the cause of the noise. In some cases, anatomical features such as a small mandible, large almonds or a close smoking cause snoring, explains Ingo Fietze from the Sleep Medicine Center of the Charité Berlin in an interview with the news agency. He advises to consult a sleep specialist, if the sleep permanently brings no more recovery or the bed neighbor respiratory failure in the affected noticed. For example, lung doctors, internists, neurologists, psychiatrists and ENT doctors are possible.
Snoring may be an indication of sleep apnea
There are two types of snoring: rhythmic and unrhythmic snoring. While in the former the suppository flutters with each breath and the snoring is safe, unrhythmic snoring may indicate sleep apnea, as Michael Herzog of the German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery told the news agency.
In sleep apnea, the noise and the dangerous respiratory failure come through a narrowing (obstruction) of the upper respiratory tract. The upper airways then close more than ten times an hour for a period of at least ten seconds.
Through such breathing misfires the oxygen content in the brain decreases. As a result, the heart rate increases and sleep becomes easier. The body is put into a kind of alarm state without the affected person consciously perceiving it. Most of the time he can not remember it the next morning, but he does not sleep well and suffers from the typical extreme daytime tiredness, lack of concentration and fatigue.
People who suffer from sleep apnea do not reach deep sleep for months or more and are at an increased risk for stroke, high blood pressure and heart attack. According to the German Society for Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine (DGSM), about five percent of adults are affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Significantly more people snore: 30 to 40 percent of 40-year-old men and even around 60 percent of 60-year-olds cause a loud nightly high noise levels. According to Herzog, women snore after menopause as often as men in the age group.
Treatment options of dangerous snoring
In order to find out the exact cause of the snoring, the sleep specialist has the so-called sleep endoscopy available. He examines the patient in imitated deep sleep and tries to identify the origin of the vibration. If this is fixed, the treatment can take place.
New therapeutic approaches to snoring. Picture: Bilderzwerg - Fotolia In obstructive sleep apnea, mask ventilation adapted to the sleep laboratory is the standard therapy. Due to the so-called pneumatic splinting, continuous pressure exerts so much pressure on the upper respiratory tract that the muscles can not relax during sleep. However, some patients find the sounds caused by "artificial respiration" very uncomfortable. Even the mask itself hinders many undisturbed sleeping.
Another relatively new procedure is the so-called tongue pacemaker, in which a neurostimulator is placed under the skin just below the collarbone. A cable attached to the costal arch transmits the movements of the diaphragm and thus the respiratory rate. Another cable with lead leads to the hypoglossal nerve, which takes over the activation of the tongue muscles. When inhaled, the tongue pacemaker sends a pulse to the lingual nerve so that the muscles in the tongue become taut and the respiratory tract free. The device is switched on with a remote control in the evening and switched off tomorrow.
In rare cases, an operation may be considered in which, for example, the soft palate is tightened or shortened. "But success depends on anatomy," explains Fietze.
Protrusion splint can prevent snoring
In non-dangerous rhythmic snoring or a mild form of sleep apnea, a so-called protrusion splint can often prevent the generation of noise by holding the lower jaw in place or pushing it forward to avoid narrowing the airways. First, however, should be clarified by dental care, whether teeth and lower jaw to withstand the burden of the rail, advises Hartmut Rentmeister of the General Association Chronic Sleep Disorders Germany to the news agency.
Special backpacks or clothing with tennis balls sewn into the back area can also prevent the snorer from turning on his back. Also, an upper body of up to 30 degrees may be helpful.
According to Herzog, about 90 percent of snorers with obstructive sleep apnea are overweight. "Many have no sleep apnea syndrome after losing weight."