About 40% of adult men and 24% of adult women snore regularly. Most of it is harmless. But in 1 out of every 4 chronic snorers, the snoring is actually a warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) — a condition that doubles the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
Simple snoring
- Quiet to moderate, fairly steady noise
- No pauses in breathing observed by your partner
- You wake up reasonably refreshed
- No daytime sleepiness or morning headaches
Signs your snoring may be sleep apnea
- Loud snoring interrupted by silences followed by a gasp or snort
- Witnessed pauses in breathing
- Waking up with a dry mouth or morning headache
- Falling asleep at red lights, in meetings or while reading
- High blood pressure that doesn't control with 2+ medications
How it is confirmed
The only way to know for sure is a sleep study (polysomnography). It can be done overnight at the clinic or with a home sleep test. The result tells us the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) — how many times per hour your breathing pauses.
If two or more of the warning signs sound familiar, a sleep study is worth it. Treatment — usually CPAP — can be life-changing within a week.
Concerned about your symptoms?
Book a consultation with Dr. Arun Gangadhar at Lung Care, RS Puram, Coimbatore.