Does snoring = apnea? - Sleep Disorders Message Board

Ol'Line Rebel · 01-02-2008, 09:07 AM

Hello all, long time!

My DH was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and I was vindicated by the 1st sleep-center test as they said they easily heard him snore!

Anyway, I have a general question.

From what I've read, it seems snoring can be a symptom of apnea, but not necessarily mean you have apnea. But I'm not clear on this, the way things are written; it's more implied than explicit. It seems 1 starts reading about "snoring", and ends up reading about "apnea".

Is it possible to snore (consistently obviously, not occasionally which we all do) and NOT have "sleep apnea"?

If so, if you don't have apnea, but do snore horribly alot, what is the recommendation? Same stuff as when talking about apnea?

janewhite1 · 01-02-2008, 10:58 AM

It's a particular type of snoring, very loud, very bad, with a sort of choking cut off sound now and then. I had a housemate with this, and he could wake me up through two closed doors. A more "ordinary" snore doesn't mean apnea, generally.

mkgbrook · 01-03-2008, 04:10 PM

Snoring doesn't mean sleep apnea, but it can be a sign of sleep apnea in any form. The most common source for snoring is enlarged tonsils and adnoids or an elongated pallet or a restricted/narrow airway. Others have sinus and allergies issues that result in mouth breathing and the tongue falling back anc cutting off the airway.

Only in children younger than 8 is snoring approximately an 85% indicator of sleep apnea. Children under the age of four shouldn't snore at all and if they do should go to an ENT for tonsil and adenoid evaluation and removal.

2 out of 100 have sleep apnea.. 1 and 5000 eventually get treatment. Children and young teens are the most undiagnosed subset of this group. Some cities do not even have a single child being treated for they believe they will grow out of it and do not need treatment. So as to what to look for.. look for all the signs.

Chronic fatigue, sinus ills, waking more than once a night.. or sleeping for more than 9 hours and feeling like you could sleep 9 more... poor quality of sleep waking tired.. falling asleep while driving or being driven.. snoring.. mouth breathing.. choking or gasping in your sleep.. overweight.. hard time losing weight.. the list is well documented and published. Many of these symptoms can be the result of other things.. but there is a definitive test for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders which can easily rule out or confirm a sleep disorder as the source of your sleep ills.

Sincerely,
MG

Cure for snoring? Well the most common one is a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, because they are often the source.

sleepykate07 · 07-29-2008, 12:19 PM

actually, the most common cause of snoring in adults is breathing thru the mouth. That's what the FDA says. Find a way to keep your mouth closed during sleep and IF you don't have underlying problems such as undiagnosed sleep apnea or significant nasal obstruction, that will help a lot. Some people use chin tape, straps or mouthpieces and these seem to work. My husband uses a kind of chin strap called a snorender. Works really well for him, but of course your mileage may vary.