FOCUS ON HEALTH:Snuggle up to that mask

As more and more doctors and hospitals expand their repertoire to include the study of sleep disorders, they are finding links to what can be considered a late-night nuisance to more serious diseases.

One of the most common sleep disorders is sleep apnea, Greek for breathless, but more commonly called chronic snoring. The snores of a patient with sleep apnea occur when the breathing temporarily stops due to airway blockages.

“The snoring has often been symptom [in patients] for a number of years, but they finally succumbed to the pleading of their bed partners,” said Dr. Paul Selecky, medical director of the Hoag Sleep Disorders Center. “But they … find that snoring could be a nighttime warning sound; they may be having obstructive sleep apnea and not breathing, especially if there’s a pause in the snoring sound.”

The pause occurs when there is no airflow to the body. It can last a few seconds, and then generally the body regains the breath, but it can be scary for the snorer’s bed partner, Selecky said.

Chronic snoring can be linked to hypertension, heart attack and diabetes, which can be life-threatening, not to mention the toll the sleep disruptions take on everyday life.

“We tend to ignore the importance of a good night’s sleep,” Selecky said. “Everybody knows about the importance of diet and exercise, but the third pillar to good health is a good night’s sleep.”

Often, people who have the disorder are overweight, and weight loss can help some of them. Selecky will also assess if a patient can help eliminate the snoring by quitting smoking or eliminating alcohol or sedatives close to bedtime.

“If the simple measures don’t resolve the problem, it might be time to go to a sleep center,” Selecky said.

At the Hoag Sleep Disorders Center’s six hotel-style laboratories, doctors and sleep disorder technicians study the brain waves of the sleeping patients to discover what treatment would be most useful.

Most often, the treatment comes in the form of a breathing apparatus called a continuous positive airway pressure machine, a CPAP machine. The snorer is outfitted with a mask that pumps oxygen into the body, opening the airway so breathing can occur normally. Patients need to use the machine every night, which can create a love-hate relationship for the patient.

It can be nearly 100% effective if used — and used correctly, said Al Reichert, a certified sleep technician at Sequoia Services Sleep Disorders Center in Monterey. Reichert leads support groups for people dealing with sleep apnea.

Although about one in five middle-aged adults has the problem, chronic snoring can be an embarrassing topic for many patients. Reichert’s support groups help them connect with other people going through treatment.

“That’s a huge deal; there’s all this support involved so they know they’re not the only one suffering from whatever their symptoms are and knowing there are solutions,” Reichert said. “Meeting people maybe farther along in their recovery process can give people hope — and sometimes the treatment solutions can be somewhat challenging themselves — and very helpful to talk to other patients so they have a comrade in that struggle.”

So before rolling over with a pillow over your head coping with another night of snoring, check the National Sleep Foundation website for more information about potential causes, treatments and support, www.sleep foundation.org. Or you can visit the Hoag Sleep Disorders website at www.hoaghospital.org/sleep.