Habitual snoring while having a good night sleep is okay, OSA – Obstructive sleep apnea in adults can be quite harmful. OSA is a sleeping disorder which causes breathing to abruptly stop and start when we sleep. There are many forms of sleep apnea, but obstructive sleep apnea is the most common. When soft tissues collapse regularly in the upper airways in respiratory, blocking breathing; waking up is the only relief. This form of apnea happens when the throat muscles contract intermittently and obstruct your airway during sleep. Snoring is a visible symptom of obstructive sleep apnea. The cause is unknown, but it can, among other problems, lead to severe fatigue, neurocognitive dysfunction, and cardiovascular issues. 

Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Loud snoring
  • Observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep
  • Abrupt awakenings accompanied by gasping or choking
  • Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
  • Morning headache
  • Difficulty concentrating during the day
  • Experiencing mood changes, such as depression or irritability
  • High blood pressure
  • Nighttime sweating
  • Decreased libido

If you witness, or your family witnesses the following, consult a medical professional immediately:

  • Loud enough snoring to interrupt your sleep or that of others
  • Gasping to wake up or choking
  • Intermittent pauses during your sleep in your breathing
  • Excessive drowsiness during the day, which can cause you to fall asleep while working, watching TV or even driving a car.

One of the most common treatments of Obstructive sleep apnea  in adults is “CPAP” “continuous positive airway pressure,” which is done through a hose and mask that delivers air pressure and keeps breathing passages open during sleep. A leading specialist in sleep medicine and sleep-disordered breathing physiology, David Rapoport conducts research that focuses on making the system more comfortable and functional, deciding who to handle, and improving patient training on how to wear it. “The equilibrium between how well a medication performs and the ability of patients to use it tends to dominate research efforts,” says Rapoport, founder and president of the Sleep Disorders Research Foundation. He is a professor at New York City’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the head of its Sleep Medicine Research Program.

In the 1995–2005 Sleep Heart Health Study, the largest epidemiological study of its kind, Rapoport also acted as an investigator. Sleep-disordered breathing was related by researchers to an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke.