What's the difference between sleep apnoea and plain old snoring How do I know which I've got

asks Sporty

A. Snoring is the noise caused by the vibration of the back of the throat - see the article about Snoring on Answerbank for more information. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is more serious.

�

Q. Why
A. In OSA, your throat closes up while you sleep and your breathing stops for short periods.

�

Q. How does that happen
A. It's caused by your throat muscles relaxing. Normally, as you breathe in, the air pressure in your throat falls below the atmospheric air pressure and this helps the air go into your lungs. The outside air pressure would cause your throat to be squeezed closed if it wasn't for the throat muscles. But when you're asleep, your throat muscles relax so your throat gets narrower and narrower as you breathe.

�

Eventually, your throat gets so narrow that it causes snoring. If it becomes narrow enough to become blocked, you'll wake up with a start and a loud snore, trying to catch your breath. Waking up with a start opens your throat muscles again and you swiftly fall asleep again without even realising that it's happening.

�

Q. What effect does this have
A. It happens over and over again and lowers the oxygen levels in your blood. You also use up a lot more energy breathing. Both cause you to wake up lots of times during the night. As a result, you wake up in the morning without feeling refreshed and rested. This can lead to periods of intense tiredness during the day.

�

Q. Is it dangerous
A. It is if you fall asleep while driving because you're so tired. You may also suffer from other side effects of lack of sleep, such as inability to concentrate and high blood pressure.

�

Q. Who gets it
A. Around four per cent of middle-aged people have OSA. They usually have a narrower than usual throat (this can be inherited or due to age), or are overweight.

�

Alcohol can also cause it because it relaxes the throat muscles, as do sleeping pills.

�

Q. What can I do to stop it
A. Losing weight is often enough to stop the problem. You can also avoid alcohol in the evening, and raise the top of the bed to keep your head higher than your body

�

Q. Is there any treatment
A. Surgery and drugs have not helped. The best treatment found so far seems to be a Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine, which blows a gentle stream of air through the nose at night to keep the pressure in the throat higher than the atmospheric pressure. They are available on private prescription, so you need to see your GP for diagnosis first.

�

Q. Where can I get more information
A. Visit the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association's website.

�

Do you have a question for Body & Soul - post it here

�

By Sheena MIller

�