Air going through a narrow opening can make beautiful music in a concert hall, but when it goes through a narrow opening at the back of the throat, it produces the opposite of music: snoring. And if that snoring is loud, intermittent and accompanied by gurgling or gasping, it’s likely that you have sleep apnea. People with this disorder stop breathing while they’re asleep, usually because of an airway obstruction, wake up, then fall back asleep, sometimes hundreds of times each night.
Here’s what you need to know about sleep apnea.
1. Weight gain is a major cause of sleep apnea.
While being overweight is not the only cause of sleep apnea, it’s one of the main reasons why people develop this disorder, says Dr. Harvey Moldofsky, a sleep specialist at the Centre for Sleep and Chronobiology in Toronto. (Tip: If your neck circumference is 16 inches or larger [17 for men], you’re in the sleep apnea range.)
When people gain weight, fat accumulates in the neck, narrowing the opening through which air passes. With age, “everything gets a bit more floppy,” says Moldofsky, to the point where the muscles of the throat and tongue relax too much when you fall asleep. “The opening can get so narrow that everything sort of collapses and you start to choke,” he says.
Sleep apnea tends to run in families, the result of an inherited body shape, says Moldofsky; for example, a recessed jaw, a small jaw and a large tongue are inherited anatomical factors that contribute to sleep apnea. As well, some medications, including some antidepressants, may raise risks for the disorder because they make people hungry and cause them to eat more and gain weight.
2. Falling asleep at the wheel could be a tip-off that you have sleep apnea.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is common among people with sleep apnea, so if people honk at you when you drive, or if you drift from your lane of traffic, you may want to talk to your doctor. Other signs of the disorder include having problems with memory or concentration, making more than the occasional mistake and feeling grumpy and tired all the time.
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