Sleep apnoea and snoring

Loud snoring does not only put the relationship with your partner under strain, but it is the most significant symptom of a life-shortening illness, so-called sleep apnoea.

Cause of Snoring

At bottlenecks in the airways, soft tissue such as the velum and the uvula vibrate and cause the familiar stertorous and sawing noise. During sleep the muscle tension loosens in the throat and pharynx area. Anatomic changes can often be found here too (nasal polyps, curvature in the nasal septum etc.). 

The restriction creates negative pressure in the pharynx area. Consequently air flows more rapidly at the bottleneck, the soft tissues begin to flap and the night-time noise disturbance begins. The disturbance reaches a volume of up to 90 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise from a passing lorry. 

Snoring of woman and man

Tests have shown that in adults approx. 40% of women and roughly 60% of men create this disturbing noise at night.

This is particularly the case for overweight adults from the age of roughly 40. But young, slender people and even children are not immune to this illness. The personal and social consequences are all too easily overlooked. Even the “normal” snorer is almost always forced into isolation. The partner often flees from the couple’s bedroom, which leads to frustration and stress within the relationship. 

Snoring and the restless sleep

The snorer does not even usually notice the snoring at all. The consequences are a dry mouth, hoarseness and a sore throat. A more serious issue is that the snorer mostly has a restless night, as the snoring cycles primarily occur during the restful dream and deep sleep phases. The main symptoms are exhaustion, nervousness and fatigue during the day even after a long sleep. If it occurs in the long term and is not recognised, serious snoring can place considerable strain on the cardiovascular system. These cases are referred to as obstructive snoring. Loud and irregular snoring is in turn a precursor of the life-threatening sleep apnoa syndrome.

This sleep disorder causes respiratory arrest, which can last for over 1 minute. This results in an insufficient supply of oxygen to the entire circulation. This has a particularly severe effect on brain functions. In every case a specialist should be consulted and should provide a diagnosis on whether it is “only” harmless snoring or life-threatening sleep apnoea. 

Snoring a symptom of the Sleep Apnea syndrome

If it is sleep apnea, it can cause serious damage to health such as high blood pressure. Abnormally high blood pressure hugely intensifies the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac insufficiency. Strokes and heart attacks are often the tragic consequence. To ward off these life-shortening effects, obstructive sleep apnea has to be professionally treated.

Blockage of airways caused by obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSAS is caused by the repeated blockage (obstruction) of the upper airways and is the most widespread form of sleep-related respiratory disorders. As we get older, the tissue in the mouth and pharynx area becomes slack. This can temporarily block the airways.

Troublesome snoring is eliminated and obstructive sleep apnoea is cured forever using the globally unique, pain-free surgical method “Rotation Advancement” developed by Prof. Sailer. The uncalculated risk of severe secondary diseases and the life-threatening consequences then become a thing of the past.

Do you have any questions or would you like a personal consultation? We are happy to help.