MGH: Among the Nation's Best - Marion General Hospital

A sleep study may be thekey to a good night’s restSnoozeCluesBy Randy DeffenbaughHow many times have you made fun ofothers who snore? How often has yoursnoring been the brunt of family jokesor laughter? Unfortunately, snoringis no laughing matter. Snoring can cause you tosuffer from headaches, difficulty concentrating,daytime fatigue and reduced work performancebecause of the interrupted sleep it causes.Don’t think you snore? You are not alone; most peopledon’t think they do. The best way to find out is to ask yourbed partner. He or she knows firsthand about your snoring—and the quality of his or her sleep also may suffer becauseof your problems.Snoring is an indication that the breathing passage in yourthroat is not fully open. It can also be an indication of somethingmore serious called sleep apnea.❋ A Most Serious ProblemSleep apnea is just one of more than 80 sleep disordersAmericans suffer from. What makes this one so significantis, if untreated, it worsens over time and becomes lifethreatening.Long-term consequences include diabetes, highblood pressure, stroke, heart failure, heart attack and death.Sleep apnea is very common, affecting more than 12 millionAmericans, the National Institutes of Health says. Theproblem can affect anyone at any age, even children. Riskfactors for sleep apnea include:• Male gender• Overweight• Being older than 40• A large neck size (17 inches or greater in men and 16 inchesor greater in women)• Large tonsils• A family history of sleep apneaSleep apnea occurs when a person’s breathing is interruptedduring sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stopbreathing repeatedly during sleep, sometimes hundreds oftimes during the night and often for a minute or longer.4vim & vigor · fall 2009