Archive for March, 2009
Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Defined
March 6th, 2009 | 
Author: When the jaw opens and the tongue falls into the back of the throat, the airway narrows forcing air through the small opening. This creates vibrations in the throat known as snoring. Like allergies, you probably weren’t born with a snore. Rather, you acquired it over time.
Many people begin sleeping with their mouth open at about 5 years of age. Gradually, muscle tissues in the mouth and throat can be stretched beyond their intended range. When this happens, snoring and the health risks associated with OSA increase. An effective jaw supporter holds the lower jaw upward and helps re-train tissue in the mouth and throat. Whether immediate, or gradual a reduction in snoring and OSA often occurs.
OSA episodes occur when the tongue or soft tissues of the throat or soft palate collapse onto the back wall of the upper airway, forming a blockage that prevents air from entering the lungs. The negative pressure of inhaling pulls harder on your tongue, sealing the airway tightly.
To resume breathing, the person must awaken (although one rarely remembers the awakening) and create tension in the tongue and throat tissue. This process opens the airway and causes a distinctive snorting sound. Within a short period of time this process often repeats itself. Several hundred OSA episodes during an 8-hour sleep time are not uncommon. Consequently, the repetition of OSA episodes can cause chronic fatigue and other major health problems.
During the REM stage is when your major muscle groups (heart, etc.) relax. Without adequate REM sleep, your chances of heart failure are much greater than average. According to the National Sleep foundation 70% of all congestive heart failure and 60% of all stokes are directly related to some form of sleep disorder, primarily OSA.
Proper REM sleep eliminates many OSA symptoms during sleep time including: Limb jerking, punching, kicking, loud snorting, cessation of breathing, excessive daytime irritability, daytime fatigue, memory problems, poor concentration skills, heartburn, acid reflux, multiple trips to urinate during sleep time, depression, ADHD symptoms, loss of motivation and loss of motor skills.
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