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.

還有會發出電突波的機器。

These old items were all intended treatments for a problem that has haunted humanity for millennia: snoring.

這些古老的物品都是用來治療困擾了人類數百年的問題：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—but all snores originate from the respiratory tract, which is lined with soft tissues.

打鼾的聲音從溫柔的貓叫聲到斷續的鏈鋸聲都有。但所有的鼾聲都來自內部充滿了軟質組織的呼吸道。

During sleep, the muscles around these tissues relax, narrowing the airway.

在睡眠時，這些組織周圍的肌肉會放鬆，讓呼吸道變得狹窄。

Many factors, including congestion, anatomical features, and the position you're sleeping in, can further constrict this passage and lead to or exacerbate snoring.

許多因素會進一步壓縮氣道，導致或加重打鼾的狀況，其中包括充血、 組織結構的特性，以及你的睡姿。

The narrower the respiratory tract, the stronger the airflow, and the more those relaxed tissues may vibrate, producing sound.

呼吸道越狹窄，氣流就越強，那些放鬆的組織就會振動得越厲害，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 known as obstructive sleep apnea.

但劇烈、長期的打鼾可能是一種被稱為阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症的睡眠障礙出現的徵兆。

It affects about a quarter of all adults, but it's estimated that around 80% of people who suffer from it aren't aware they have it.

約有四分之一的成人會受其影響，但據估計，約 80% 有此病症的人並不知道自己有這個症狀。

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

它特別麻煩的地方在於，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, and is mainly characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.

阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症通常是因為氣道阻塞所導致，主要的特徵就是睡眠中有時會暫停呼吸。

There's one other kind of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea, which occurs when the brain temporarily fails to regulate the body's breathing.

還有一種睡眠呼吸中止症叫做中樞性睡眠呼吸中止症，原因是大腦暫時無法調節身體的呼吸。

This condition isn't as common, and snoring is usually a less prominent feature—though you can have both.

這種症狀比較少見， 而打鼾通常則是沒那麼顯著的特徵—但你是有可能同時罹患兩種病症的。

If you're experiencing obstructive sleep apnea, you might stop breathing for 10 or more seconds before waking, sometimes without realizing it, to catch your breath.

如果你有阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止的症狀，你在醒來之前可能會停止呼吸十秒鐘以上接著才繼續呼吸，而有時連你自己都不知道自己停止了呼吸。

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

每小時可能會發生五次，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.

而這是個問題，因為你的組織所得到的氧氣會因此變少。

As you experience periods of low oxygen intake, your body releases stress hormones.

當時你不時發生攝氧量過低的情況時，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 and other cardiovascular problems.

這就是阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症會被與高血壓及其他心血管問題有關的原因。

Your difficulty breathing and poor-quality rest may also lead to headaches, decreased concentration, and chronic fatigue.

呼吸困難和糟糕的休息品質也可能會造成頭痛、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罹患阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止的風險？

Features like larger tongues, thicker necks, and smaller jaws can make people more susceptible.

舌頭較大、脖子較粗， 下顎較小等特徵會讓人比較容易受此病症影響。

Older people are more at risk because, as we age, our soft tissues loosen, further narrowing our airways.

年紀較長的人風險更高，因為隨著我們老化，體內的軟組織會開始鬆馳，使氣道變得更加狹窄。

Drinking alcohol before going to sleep can cause excessive relaxation of our throat and jaw muscles.

睡前喝酒可能會造成喉嚨和下顎的肌肉過度放鬆。

And one of the main contributors to obstructive sleep apnea is weight gain because more tissue around the neck can constrict the airway.

造成阻塞型睡眠呼吸中止症的主因之一是體重的增加，因為脖子周圍增多的軟組織會更加壓迫到氣道。

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方式之一。

Certain behavioral shifts, like limiting your alcohol consumption before bed, elevating your head, and avoiding sleeping on your back may also help.

進行某些行為調整，比如限制睡前的飲酒量、把頭墊高，以及睡覺時避免正面朝上的姿勢都會有幫助。

For people who have a milder condition, mouth and throat exercises have been shown to alleviate obstructive sleep apnea in some preliminary trials.

至於症狀較輕的人，在初期的試驗中發現，多作一些嘴巴及喉嚨的體操有助於減輕阻 塞型睡眠呼吸中止症。

But these approaches, and devices like oral appliances, may not always be sufficient.

但這些方法以及口內裝置不見得足夠。

Sleep apnea can be reliably treated using CPAP machines, which keep the airway open by delivering a constant stream of pressurized air.

睡眠呼吸中止症可以藉由持續使用正壓呼吸器來治療，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 like these first, but if they don't work, they may consider surgery.

醫生通常會偏向先用這類非侵入性的治療方式來治療睡眠呼吸中止症，但若行不通，則可能會考慮開刀動手術。

Snores can be silly.

打鼾可能是件不重要的小事。

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

但若有劇烈的打鼾，還是應該要去向醫生諮詢。

After all, everyone needs a chance to catch their breath—and some z's...

畢竟，每個人都需要有機會能喘口氣，並好好睡上一覺。

Sleep apnea is just one disorder that messes with the quality of your sleep.

睡眠呼吸中止症只是會干擾你睡眠品質的失調症狀之一。

Find out how you can break the cycle of insomnia with this video, or, dive into the creepy fear-inducing disorder known as sleep paralysis with this video.

觀看這部影片來了解該怎麼作才能打破失眠的循環，或是觀看這部影片來深入了解讓人心生恐懼的睡眠癱瘓症吧。