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After years of being together, you and your partner sleep in separate rooms. But it’s not for any other reason than: He snores. So. Loud.
If this is you, you're not alone. More than 12 million people in the United States have sleep apnea which often includes loud snoring, moments of silence and gasps for air. Besides interfering with your night-time cuddling, sleep apnea is bad for your loved one’s health.
OSA occurs when the upper airway is completely or partially blocked during sleep. When this happens, the diaphragm and chest muscles work harder to open the airway. Breathing usually resumes with a loud gasp, snort, body jerk or simply continuance of snoring. Your partner may or may not be aware of this, and most often has no idea.
These episodes can interfere with sleep. They also can reduce the flow of oxygen to vital organs and cause irregular heart rhythms.
Besides the snoring, gasps and snorts, there are other signs of sleep apnea.
They include:
Dr. Hamilton described several factors that put your partner at an increased risk for OSA:
The Centers for Disease Control reports that sleep insufficiency has been linked to an increase in chronic health disorders like hypertension and depression, increased mortality, and lower productivity and quality of life.
Other health risks include:
There are things that you can do and ways that a doctor can help you to improve sleep apnea. If you are overweight, begin by eating smart and exercising. Sometimes, weight loss is enough to cure sleep apnea.
A doctor can also prescribe non-surgical interventions that prevent your airway from being blocked:
