Normal snoring occurs when you relax during sleep, which causes your lower jaw and tongue to drop back against the throat. This forces the airway to narrow and constrict, which lowers the amount of oxygen your body can take in. Your body reacts to this by increasing your respiration, or breathing. This increased velocity of air causes the soft tissues at the back of the throat to vibrate, creating the snoring noise.

While Snoring is a common sleep occurence and to most of us a harmless nuisance, heavy snoring is often a symptom of a serious medical condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Sleap Apnea earned its name from the fact that, in snoring, breathing actually stops for 10 seconds to a minute or more! This is called an Apneic Event. This occurs when the upper airway is blocked or obstructive. For this reason it is commonly referred to by the medical profession as Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA.

Each time breathing is blocked, oxygen in the bloodstream falls, and the heart must work harder to circulate blood. This increases blood pressure and the possibility of an irregular heart beat or worse yet, the heart could stop! When the brain senses the decrease of oxygen, it partilly arouses the sleeper usually just enough to gasp for air. This arousal is usually not enough to wake the sleeper, but the sleep partner may notice the sleeper choking or gasping for air during sleep.  

What does all this mean? Should I be concerned?

If you can answer the following questions honestly would you discover:

• You have been told, or do you awake and find that you're choking or gasping for air while you sleep?
• Do you feel tired during the day, even though you got a full night's sleep?
• Do you awake frequently with headaches? Sore throat?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you snore loudly?
• Is your sleep restless? And does your partner comment that your legs or arms suddenly jerk during sleep? 

If you answer "yes" to any or all of these questions you will want to be screened for possible Obstructive Sleep Apnea!  Dr. Nix is a founding member of Dentists for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, an organization formed by dentists to raise pubic awareness of this deadly disorder and promote treatment.

Call toll free 800-647-5038 today if you feel you could possibly be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.