The sleep disorder you might not know you have - Alayna Vaughan

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

A leather mask that clamps the mouth shut.

強行把嘴巴闔起來的皮口罩，

A cannonball sewn into a soldier’s uniform.

縫在士兵制服裡面的炮彈，

And a machine that delivers sudden electrical pulses.

以及會發出電突波的機器。

These old items were all intended treatments

這些古老的物品 都是用來做治療的，

for a problem that has haunted humanity for millennia:

治療困擾了人類數百年的問題：

snoring.

打鼾。

It might seem harmless, but snoring can be a sign of something more dangerous.

打鼾看似無害，但它有可能 是個危險的徵兆。

So, what exactly causes snoring? And when does it become a problem?

所以，打鼾的原因到底是什麼？

在什麼情況下它會是個問題？

A snore’s quality can range from a gentle mew to a stuttering chainsaw—

打鼾的品質從溫柔的貓叫聲

到斷續的鏈鋸聲都有。

but all snores originate from the respiratory tract,

但所有的鼾聲都來自呼吸道，

which is lined with soft tissues.

呼吸道內是軟組織。

During sleep, the muscles around these tissues relax,

睡眠時，

這些組織周圍的肌肉會放鬆，

narrowing the airway.

讓氣道變窄。

Many factors, including congestion, anatomical features,

許多因素，包括充血、

組織結構的特性，

and the position you’re sleeping in,

以及你的睡姿，

can further constrict this passage and lead to or exacerbate snoring.

會進一步壓縮氣道，

導致或加重打鼾的狀況。

The narrower the respiratory tract is, the stronger the airflow,

呼吸道越狹窄，氣流就越強，

and the more those relaxed tissues may vibrate,

那些放鬆的組織就會振動得越厲害，

producing sound.

產生聲音。

Most of us will snore at some point in our lives.

大部分的人在人生中 某個時點都會打鼾。

But loud, chronic snoring is one sign of a sleep disorder

但巨大、長期的打鼾 可能是睡眠障礙的徵兆：

known as obstructive sleep apnea.

即一般所知的阻塞型 睡眠呼吸中止症。

It affects about a quarter of all adults,

約有四分之一的成人會受其影響，

but it’s estimated that around 80% of people who suffer from it

但據估計，約 80% 有此病症的人

aren’t aware they have it.

不知道自己這個狀況。

This is especially troublesome because it can lead to serious cardiovascular issues.

麻煩之處在於

它可能會導致嚴重的心血管問題。

Obstructive sleep apnea is usually caused by blockages in the airway

阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症 通常是由氣道阻塞造成，

and is mainly characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.

主要的特徵就是睡眠時呼吸暫停。

There's one other kind of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea,

還有一種睡眠呼吸中止症

叫做中樞性睡眠呼吸中止症，

which occurs when the brain temporarily fails to regulate the body's breathing.

原因是大腦暫時 無法調節身體的呼吸。

This condition isn't as common,

這個狀況沒那麼常發生，

and snoring is usually a less prominent feature—

而打鼾通常是沒那麼顯著的特徵——

though you can have both.

不過有可能兩種都得到。

If you’re experiencing obstructive sleep apnea,

如果你發生了阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止，

you might stop breathing for 10 or more seconds before waking,

你在醒來之前可能會 停止呼吸十秒鐘以上，

sometimes without realizing it, to catch your breath.

有時自己都不知道， 接著才繼續呼吸。

In doing so, you might make a snorting or a choking sound.

這個過程中，

你可能會發出打鼾聲或窒息聲。

This may happen five times an hour,

每小時可能會發生五次，

though in severe cases, it could occur more than 30.

不過狀況嚴重的人每小時 可能會達三十次以上。

And it's a problem because your tissues are getting less oxygen.

這是問題個，因為你的組織 得到的氧氣變少。

As you experience periods of low oxygen intake,

當你不時發生低攝氧量 過低的情況時，

your body releases stress hormones.

你的身體會釋放出壓力荷爾蒙。

And your blood vessels constrict to get oxygenated blood to your vital organs.

而你的血管會收縮，

讓充氧血能被送抵你的重要器官。

This increases your blood pressure and puts additional stress on your heart.

這會讓血壓上升，

且造成心臟的額外壓力。

And this is why obstructive sleep apnea can be linked to hypertension

這就是為什麼阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症會被連結到高血壓

and other cardiovascular problems.

及其他心血管問題。

Your difficulty breathing and poor-quality rest may also lead to headaches,

呼吸困難和很糟的休息品質

也可能會造成頭痛、

decreased concentration, and chronic fatigue.

注意力下降，以及慢性疲勞。

So what puts someone at risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea?

所以，什麼原因會讓一個人 有阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止的風險？

Features like larger tongues, thicker necks, and smaller jaws

舌頭較大、脖子較粗，

下顎較小等特徵

can make people more susceptible.

會讓人比較容易受此病症影響。

Older people are more at risk because, as we age,

年紀較長的人風險比較高，

因為，隨著老化，軟組織會鬆馳，

our soft tissues loosen, further narrowing our airways.

讓氣道更狹窄。

Drinking alcohol before going to sleep can cause excessive relaxation

睡前喝酒

可能會造成喉嚨和下顎 肌肉過度放鬆。

of our throat and jaw muscles.

And one of the main contributors to obstructive sleep apnea is weight gain

造成阻塞型睡眠呼吸 中止症的主因之一

是體重增加，

because more tissue around the neck can constrict the airway.

因為脖子周圍有更多 軟組織會壓縮氣道。

Many researchers see weight loss as a solution to obstructive sleep apnea.

許多研究者認為減重

是解決阻塞型睡眠呼吸 中止症的一種方式。

Certain behavioral shifts, like limiting your alcohol consumption before bed,

某些行為調整，比如 限制睡前的飲酒量，

elevating your head, and avoiding sleeping on your back may also help.

把頭墊高，

及避免正面朝上的姿勢都會有幫助。

For people who have a milder condition,

至於症狀較輕的人，

mouth and throat exercises have been shown to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea

在初期的試驗中發現， 嘴巴及喉嚨的運動

有助於減輕阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症。

in some preliminary trials.

But these approaches, and devices like oral appliances,

但這些方法以及口內裝置

may not always be sufficient.

不見得足夠。

Sleep apnea can be reliably treated using CPAP machines,

可以靠持續正壓呼吸器 來治療睡眠呼吸中止症，

which keep the airway open by delivering a constant stream of pressurized air.

該機器能持續

送入增壓空氣，以保持氣道開通。

Doctors will usually aim to remedy sleep apnea with non-invasive treatments

醫生通常會偏向先用 這類非侵入性的治療方式

like these first, but if they don’t work, they may consider surgery.

來治療睡眠呼吸中止症，

但若行不通，可能會考慮動手術。

Snores can be silly.

打鼾可能會很蠢。

But intense ones are well-worth investigating with a doctor.

但若有劇烈的打鼾， 應該要去向醫生諮詢。

After all, everyone needs a chance to catch their breath—

畢竟，

每個人都需要有機會能 「喘口氣」——

and some z’s...

還有一些「Z」……