Relationship between OSA and snoring

I'm having an argument on another board with someone who claims apnea is caused by snoring. I say snoring is a symptom of apnea, and, while it can have causes other than OSA, is caused by it, rather than the other way around.

Anyone have some links from reputable sources to back me up?

Or, if you disagree with me and agree with her, do you have sources to change my mind?

Thanks!

CollegeGirl wrote:I'm having an argument on another board with someone who claims apnea is caused by snoring. I say snoring is a symptom of apnea, and, while it can have causes other than OSA, is caused by it, rather than the other way around.

Anyone have some links from reputable sources to back me up?

Or, if you disagree with me and agree with her, do you have sources to change my mind?

Thanks!

You might use this reference from the UC Irvine Health Sciences website. Under the "SNORING" heading, it reads:

Snoring is not sleep apnea, and sleep apnea is not snoring. Snoring is a social problem, as indicated above, and may be associated with significant sleep disturbance, waking episodes, etc. without OSAS. However, many patients with loud snoring do have significant obstructive sleep apnea.

OCO

Hey College Girl,
Apnea and snoring usually have a common cause - the muscles of the throat relaxing, allowing soft tissue to drop down to the back of the throat. When this partially occludes the airway, we snore. When this totally occludes the airway, we are apneic. I compare it to putting a floppy straw into a thick milkshake; no matter how hard we "suck", ain't nothin' gonna come through. CPAP maintains enough pressure to keep that "floppy straw" splinted open, fixing both the snoring and the apnea.