At some point in our lives, we all snore. A cold or allergy can block nasal passages, a few drinks too close to bed will automatically relax tongue, palate and throat muscles -- and before we know it, we're unconsciously forcing air past those soft tissues, causing vibrations that escape as a snore.
But snoring can also be a key sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder in which people actually stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at a time.
"When it's loud, raucous snoring, or it's interrupted by pauses in breathing, that's where we start to get concerned," Robbins said.
It's called "obstructive" sleep apnea because unlike central sleep apnea -- in which the brain occasionally skips telling the body to breathe -- obstructive sleep apnea is due to a blockage of the airways by weak, heavy or relaxed soft tissues.
"You're making the effort with your belly and your chest to try to get the air in and out, but because of the obstruction in the upper airway, you can't. Often you aren't aware of this struggle, but it can be very, very scary for anyone watching," said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
How can you tell when your snoring has become dangerous to your health? Sleep experts use a sleep questionnaire with an easy-to-follow acronym: STOP BANG.
1. S stands for snoring
"We're talking loud, obnoxious snoring, the type that would drown out conversations or be heard through closed doors," Dasgupta said.
"Some of the very descriptive bed partners of my patients with obstructive sleep apnea describe their partners' snores as listening to a 'dying bear' or a scene from 'Jurassic Park,'" he added.
2. T stands for tired
Being really tired during the day is a prime indicator of poor sleep. Combined with snoring, it can be a telltale symptom of sleep apnea.
3. O stands for 'observed'
Many people -- if not most -- have no idea that they snore at night. Nor do they know they stop breathing during the night -- unless the blockage is so bad that they wake up gasping and choking.
"The O stands for observed apnea, and that's actually worse than just snoring," Dasgupta said. "An apnea means no flow of air -- no air coming in no air going out. You're not breathing. Observed apnea is really a red flag."
Bed partners are often key to the identification of obstructive sleep apnea.
"Watching your partner stop breathing, snore, cough or gasp for air are all signs the snoring might not be normal, and then it is something that deserves attention from a sleep specialist," Robbins said.
4. P stands for pressure -- high blood pressure
Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to hypertension. Every time a person stops breathing for a few seconds, the body's sympathetic nervous system goes into action and raises blood pressure. In addition, the body releases stress hormones called catecholamines, which can also raise blood pressure over time.
5. B stands for BMI
People who are obese or extremely obese -- with a BMI of 35 and above -- are frequently found to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea because the extra weight in the mouth, tongue and neck collapses those soft tissues, making it more difficult to easily breathe without snoring.
"Weight loss can be a big part of the recommendation from a health care provider for addressing sleep apnea," Robbins said.
6. A is for age
Muscle tone weakens as we age, including in our soft palate and neck. So being over age 50 is another potential signal that your snoring may be -- or turn into -- obstructive sleep apnea.
7. N is for neck
Having a large neck circumference, either from being overweight or genetics, is also a key indicator of potential obstructive sleep apnea.
"Now you don't want to be a weirdo and start measuring your loved one's neck build at night," Dasgupta said. "The rule of thumb is always going to be a collar size of greater than 43 centimeters for a male, and greater than 40.6 centimeters for a female will put you at a higher risk for sleep apnea."
8. G is for gender
Are you a man? Then unfortunately, that, too, makes you at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Some of the reasons may be that men tend to have fatter tongues and carry more fat in their upper bodies than women, especially in the neck. Men also tend to have more "belly fat," which can make breathing in general more difficult.
"However, we definitely see a lot more obstructive sleep apnea in women after menopause," Dasgupta said.
- High-risk needs evaluation
Now it's time to score your risk. Give yourself a point for every "yes" answer. If you scored between 5 and 8, you are at high risk of having obstructive sleep apnea and should be evaluated by a sleep specialist.
"Sleep tests nowadays are much, much easier to get than in prior years when you could only go to a sleep lab," Dasgupta said. "You don't have to be stuck in the lab with all these wires on you, looking like Frankenstein. You can do an at-home sleep test in your own bed, which is nice."
But don't ignore your symptoms, as the negative effects on health should not be ignored, says the American Academy of Sleep Medicine: "Like a fire alarm, snoring is a warning of danger that demands your attention."
TWEET YOUR COMMENT