Has your partner woken you up during the night with an elbow because your snoring got too loud? You may have grown up thinking that snoring is a natural part of life, and it isn’t much you can do about it. However, snoring has the potential to indicate more significant health problems if left unchecked. Fortunately, there are plenty of treatment options available to help you get in front of your snoring issues and address the root causes.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is caused by your throat’s muscles and tissues relaxing during sleep to the point that they block your airflow. These disruptions in your sleep patterns can last anywhere from five seconds to upwards of a minute in extreme cases. There are two main types of snoring — primary and sleep apnea. While primary snoring is not much to be concerned about and can be treated with over-the-counter solutions, knowing when your snoring is associated with sleep apnea is critical in determining your next steps.
What Is Sleep Apnea and How Does It Impact My Health?
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that can affect your breathing patterns during the night. With this condition, your breathing frequently starts and stops during the night, with prolonged instances of snoring, poor sleep quality, and frequent morning headaches representing some of the most common symptoms.
What Are My Treatment Options?
The enduring stereotype that snoring becomes a natural part of life prevents many people from seeking treatment for snoring-related issues for extended periods. Many suffer from snoring and sleep apnea without knowing that they can take steps to mitigate and even potentially eliminate their sleep difficulties. Fortunately for the people of Bucks County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia, sleep apnea treatment is a phone call away!
You can make holistic life changes, such as losing weight or reducing alcohol consumption, but there are medical routes you can take with the help of ear, nose, and throat specialists at Dr. Goldberg’s offices. Our expertly-trained doctors have extensive experience dealing with various sleep apnea and snoring conditions and strive to give our patients the relief they and their partners need during the night.
Not only does Dr. Goldberg and the team deal with snoring and sleep apnea in adults, but we also sport some of the best child ear, nose, and throat specialists in the Greater Philadelphia area. Contact our team to schedule your next appointment today!
