Snoring is Nothing to Lose Sleep Over

By Dr. Steven Warfield

If you or someone in your household routinely spends the wee hours in an imitation of a lumber mill, don’t lose heart.  Snoring is more than mere annoyance.  It can also be a symptom of a more serious condition: Sleep Apnea.  Even though many people who have this condition purport that it doesn’t affect their ability to sleep, the truth of the matter is that those with sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during the night.  This can lead to lack of REM sleep, reduced oxygen to the brain and reduced performance during waking hours.  Even worse, if left untreated, apnea can result in a number of other health problems, including:

1.      High Blood Pressure

2.      Stroke

3.      Irregular Heartbeat

4.      Heart Failure

5.      Diabetes

6.      Depression

7.      ADHD

Side view of a typical CPAP mask hooked up to its air hose. The opening goes over the nose, the tabs press against the forehead. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Caused either by a blockage of the airway by the soft tissue in the back of the throat, by an instability in the part of the brain that controls respiration, or a combination of the two
, this condition affects not only adults, but children as well.  Since there are three types of sleep apnea, the diagnosis consists of an evaluation of the clinical symptoms and the results of a formal sleep study, which can be performed either in a clinical setting or at home.  The objective is to determine the quantity of apneic events per hour of sleep. Once the type and severity of sleep apnea is determined, then treatment can be initiated.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep disorder.  Since the muscles of the body routinely relax during sleep, the soft tissue lining the throat can partially collapse, blocking the airway.  The elderly, individuals with poor muscle tone and the obese are at higher risk for OSA.  Some treatments for this condition involve changes in lifestyle, such as avoiding alcohol or muscle relaxants, losing weight and quitting smoking.  Sleeping on one’s side as opposed to sleeping on the back is also effective, as are various kinds of oral appliances, which are all designed to keep the airway open during sleep.

In Central Sleep Apnea (CSA), the brain’s respiratory control centers experience an imbalance during sleep.  Carbon dioxide levels and the that monitor them in the body do not react quickly enough to maintain adequate respiration.   As a result, the sleeper’s breathing stops an

CPAP continuous positive airway pressure mask installed (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

d starts all night long.  Sufferers of CSA may experience episodes of rapid breathing (hyperpnea) as the body attempts to balance the books by blowing off unwanted CO2 and absorbing needed oxygen.

The long and short of CSA is that the part of the nervous system that controls oxygen and CO2 levels gets out of whack.  The brain fails to tell the lungs to breathe.  Since the brain needs oxygen to live, as a result, it signals the tries to compensate by beating faster.  Short of death, drips in blood oxygen may trigger seizures, angina, heart arrhythmia, or even heart attack.  If left untreated, CSA can cause a change in the PH of the blood itself.

Treatment of CSA involves oxygen, nasal continuous airway pressure (CPAP) or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), as well as certain pharmaceuticals that stimulate breathing.  Sufferers of CSA are also advised to avoid the use of sedatives.

Some people with sleep apnea have a combination of OSA and CSA.  This condition is referred to as Complex Sleep Apnea.  Patients with complex sleep apnea generally exhibit OSA, but upon application of positive airway pressure they exhibit OSA.  This condition is most commonly treated by either CPAP, BiPAP or adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy.

Your Chiropractor Can Help You Breathe Easier

There are also several kinds of chiropractic treatments that can help relieve sleep apnea.  Chiropractic adjustments, massage, exercise or a combination of treatments may prove effective.  As well as employing a hands-on approach, your chiropractor can also teach you stretching and strengthening exercises for your neck.  Since another cause of sleep apnea is neck kyphosis, which is an excess curvature of the neck, your chiropractor can help you determine the underlying cause as well as an effective course of treatment. 

While there are surgical procedures that may be used to treat sleep apnea, chiropractic, lifestyle changes and other alternative treatments should be explored first.   In a 2009 study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Clinical Care Medicine found that patients who practiced a series of tongue and throat exercises for 30 minutes per day showed a marked decline in sleep apnea symptoms after only three months.  Additionally, patients experienced 39% fewer apnea episodes after completing the treatments.

Dr.’s Steven Warfield and Dave Edenfield offer the most advanced treatments for back pain, sciatica, neck pain, whiplash and headaches. They also treat auto accident victims with state-of-the-art technologies. If you or anyone you know suffers from herniated discs, degenerative discs or spinal stenosis, visit http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/

Related articles

• What Are Sleep Apnea Causes?
• Snoring can turn deadly
• Is Lack of Sleep Causing Your Brain to Shrivel?
• Is It Snoring or Sleep Apnea?
• Snoring May Be Early Sign Of Future Health Risks