Remember the adage,
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Snore and you sleep
alone"?
For chronic snorers and anyone who has to listen to them,
anti-snoring products can sound like a dream come true. But before you
start catching zzzz's, consider this: Ads for some of these products are
making unsubstantiated claims that the products can cure or treat the
symptoms of sleep apnea, a serious, potentially life-threatening disorder.
These misleading claims may keep some snorers from getting the medical
treatment they need.
Sleep apnea affects at least 12 million
Americans of all ages, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association.
It causes brief interruptions of breathing during sleep when a blockage in
the upper airway restricts air flow. Sleep experts advise chronic snorers
or people who think they may have sleep apnea to see their physician or a
sleep specialist.
You should be suspicious of any anti-snoring
product claims that:
> refer to snoring as a medical
condition;
> suggest that the product can treat or cure symptoms
of sleep apnea, like daytime tiredness, headaches, lack of concentration,
interruptions in breathing, and partial awakenings; and
> refer
to the mechanics of sleep apnea; for example, how a restricted airway
causes a person to awaken to take a
breath. |
