Originally published in Charleston City Paper, April 20, 2005

Pillow Fights: Ladies send their guys to snore stopping pros

Jason A. Zwiker 

“Wives and girlfriends,” says Timothy Fultz, clinical coordinator of the Roper Hospital Sleep Center.  “They’re the ones who send in most of the younger guys that we evaluate for sleep apnea.”  Bearing witness to bed-rattling snores and choking gasps for breath in the middle of the night tends to alert them to a potential problem long before the gentleman in question notices his own symptoms. 

“Spouse or partner insistence is usually the driving force in persuading younger men to see a doctor,” he says, adding that this is not only true in cases of sleep apnea.  “It is just that this can be a particularly socially disruptive problem, especially if the snoring gets bad enough.  It can even get to where she says, ‘You see the doctor or I’m out of here.”

“Many of these are big guys,” Fultz continues, pointing out that “weight makes it worse, but it’s not the only problem.”  Anatomical variances in the airway make sleep apnea a possibility for slim-and-trim men and women as well. 

Frequent, sometimes severe, daytime sleepiness is another clue that an individual might have sleep apnea.  The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive: the uvula and soft palate temporarily closes off the upper airway, causing a sudden arousal.  Deep sleep is interrupted as the individual literally gasps for breath.  This can happen over and over throughout the night, leading to fragmented, non-productive sleep.  Morning headaches, irritability, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, and nodding off during the day are all common side effects of this disrupted sleep. 

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