Snoring is one of the most common signs of sleep apnea. But since sleep apnea testing is needed to confirm this diagnosis, many people dismiss their snoring as irritating and nothing more, until it starts to impact their everyday lives. For those individuals who suffer from sleep apnea, they may struggle to breathe at night and wake up with painful headaches. Ears, nose, and throat (ENT) specialists are often at the top of the list of specialists that are visited for ongoing heavy snoring, as these patients correctly assume there is something wrong with their nose or throat.    What Sleep...

Genetic factors are linked to many illnesses, from a predisposition to certain types of cancer to a tendency for high blood pressure. If you have seen a loved one—perhaps a parent or grandparent—struggle to manage their sleep apnea, you may have concerns that you will develop sleep apnea due to hereditary factors.    While there is no clear cut answer on whether sleep apnea itself is hereditary, both central and obstructive sleep apnea have inherited factors that can trigger sleep apnea.  Central And Obstructive Sleep Apnea Have Hereditary Factors For a quick overview, let's clarify what is central sleep apnea and...

After getting a bad night of sleep, it’s not uncommon to reach for that first (and second) cup of coffee. We rely on caffeine to get us through early morning, late nights, and even stressful afternoons. Our allegiance to the almighty latte usually comes from desperation––we’re trying to get a pick me up to get us through the day. And it can help, sometimes.  If you suffer from one bad night of sleep, caffeine can give you the oomph you need to get through your day. However, if you suffer from chronic sleep deprivation or fatigue, even over just a...

It’s an unfortunate reality that most disorders out there have side effects that can put you at risk of developing further problems. This is especially true of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. When left untreated, OSA is well known in the medical community for putting sufferers at risk of developing far more serious conditions from heart disease and heart attacks to strokes, Type II Diabetes, and even certain types of cancer.  But while the cardiovascular and other physiological conditions I listed above are well known, some may be surprised to hear that OSA can actually be caused or exacerbated by...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)  is an equal opportunity offender––it doesn't matter your age, gender, weight, or ethnic background, anyone can suffer from sleep apnea. But, while demographics don’t guarantee you will or won’t get sleep apnea, there are some factors that can increase your likelihood.  For example, men more frequently suffer from OSA than women. Those who are overweight are more likely to develop OSA because of the pressure on the respiratory system. And, of all professions, truck drivers are more likely than any other to develop this sleep disorder. In fact, it’s been proven that truckers are 11X more...