Manage Your Senior Loved Ones Snoring in Bangor, ME, and Surrounding Areas
Visiting Angels Offers Senior Care in Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, Orono, Old Town, and the Surrounding Area
Snoring is something that often happens when a person is asleep. It can be very annoying for the person who snores and also for the people around them. However, snoring may have a more serious underlying problem when it comes to seniors. These things can be much more concerning than a simple annoyance.
- There are many causes of snoring. Some of them are:
- Congestion resulting from allergies or upper respiratory infections
- Excess tissue in the mouth or throat
- Overconsumption of alcohol
- Narrow nasal passages, sometimes related to a deviated septum
- Sleeping in a position that narrows or constructs air passages
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Snoring may lead to a condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the muscles in the throat narrow or block airways. These blockages lead to waking up suddenly and disruption of deep sleep.
Some symptoms of OSA are:
- Snoring
- Daytime drowsiness
- Pauses in breathing during sleep
- Waking up gasping and choking
- Dry mouth, sore throat, or headache in the morning
- Depression, irritability, or other mood changes
- Memory problems
Central sleep apnea is a less common type of sleep apnea. It is not caused by airways being blocked but rather by the brain’s failure to send signals to muscles controlling breathing during sleep. If a person has central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea, it is known as “complex sleep apnea syndrome.”
Consult a physician right away if you believe your loved one may be suffering from either or both of these types of sleep apnea.
Sometimes, preventative measures against sleep apnea need to be taken. Preventative measures might come with some lifestyle changes. A few of the changes that might need to be made are:
- Losing weight
- Exercising more
- Quitting smoking
- Avoiding sleeping on their back
- Taking medication to reduce congestion
An in-home caregiver can be very helpful in assisting seniors who suffer from sleep apnea. They can help by managing their sleep apnea and helping them and making the necessary lifestyle changes to lessen their symptoms.
A physician might prescribe a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device to help treat sleep apnea symptoms. An in-home caregiver can assist by teaching a senior how to use this machine and remind them when to use it.
Once all of the treatments above have been exhausted, surgery may be recommended as a last resort. An in-home caregiver from Visiting Angels can provide aid to a person recovering from surgery.
If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about senior care provided by Visiting Angels of Bangor, ME, please call 207-605-8288 to learn more.