What kind of snoring is abnormal?

My husband often makes a "choking" sound when he sleeps, as if something is stuck in his throat. Is this abnormal? (Huyen, 34 years old, Hanoi )

Reply:

Snoring can be a normal symptom or a warning sign of a medical condition. By listening to the sound of snoring, we can somewhat guess whether snoring is due to a medical condition or not.

Simple, non-dangerous snoring occurs when the frequency is not frequent, occurs when the body is tired, lying on the back while sleeping, when having a cold... At this time, relatives can hear a steady, gentle snoring sound, not too loud; the snorer still sleeps well without waking up in the middle of the night.

Snoring is considered abnormal when it occurs frequently, sounds heavy, wheezing like a blockage in the nose and throat, accompanied by short apnea episodes. The patient is snoring and suddenly stops breathing for about 10 seconds, then suddenly snores again or wakes up. In most of these cases, the patient has a dangerous syndrome called sleep apnea. If left untreated, the disease will increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, coronary artery disease; memory loss, loss of concentration, daytime sleepiness; and can even lead to sudden death at night.

With the symptoms you mentioned, it is likely that your husband has sleep apnea. You should take him to a medical facility with a respiratory specialist for examination.

At the Respiratory Department of Tam Anh General Hospital, doctors will use the polysomnography method to accurately diagnose whether the patient has sleep apnea or not. The patient will sleep one night at the hospital, and will be fitted with a sleep monitor while sleeping. Thanks to the sensors, the machine will record data on changes in airflow through the nose, snoring, chest and abdominal movements, brain waves, electrocardiogram, eye movements, chin electromyography and movements of the two legs. Through that recording, the doctor will analyze the patient's sleep and based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to make a diagnosis and assess the severity of sleep apnea. At the same time, the doctor will know if the snorer has sleep apnea due to airway obstruction or other diseases, thereby having an appropriate treatment regimen.

If it is true that your husband snores due to sleep apnea, you do not need to worry too much because the disease is now completely treatable. The most successful method currently being applied at Tam Anh General Hospital is the CPAP positive pressure ventilator. The machine helps push oxygen at a pressure sufficient to open the airway, helping the patient to stop snoring, receive enough oxygen, sleep well, and no longer feel tired and lethargic when waking up. Currently, the rate of eliminating snoring thanks to the CPAP ventilator method is nearly 100%.

Master, Doctor Phung Thi Thom
Respiratory Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi

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