Definition - What does Snore Index mean?
A snore index, also called snore time interval index (STII), is a clinical measure used in polysomnography for assessing sound wave patterns, related to the duration, frequency, and intensity of cumulative episodes of snoring during the night. Sleep technicians utilize the snore index as an adjunct criterion along with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) for correlative analysis where partial blockage (hypopnea) or complete blockage (apnea) are determinant factors in patients who are candidates for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
SureHire explains Snore Index
In polysomnography, the snore index coupled with AHI metrics allows sleep technicians to track the progressive nature of sleep apnea via biofeedback highlighting sleep disturbances in patients experiencing mild apnea, moderate apnea, and severe apnea. Snoring often carries comorbid implications where its connection with sleep apnea is secondary to epidemiological health risks including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, homeostatic dysfunction, and stroke. The causative nature of snoring hinges on multiple variables including age, excess soft tissue lining the throat, and maxillofacial defects (i.e., deviated septum), compromising airflow to the extent of inhibiting an individual’s sleep.
Although snoring does not always suggest a patient is a candidate for sleep apnea, individuals are still susceptible to chronic fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness, undercutting mental acuity and motor reflexes that can have a direct impact on job performance. For people with chronic allergies, air-purifiers featuring high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are beneficial in dispersing airborne irritants that contribute to sporadic fits of snoring. However, a diagnosis of central sleep apnea (CSA) or OSA often requires behavioral therapy or breathing device modalities that can include voluntary weight loss or continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines tailored for facilitating respiration during sleep.
The snore index is a demonstrable metric in calibrating the degree of snoring based on a fluctuating signal that occurs at designated time intervals, furnishing sleep technicians the necessary data input that coincides with the range of mild to severe sleep apnea. Because snoring can reach 100 decibels in sound, the snore index is a critical aspect in polysomnography where prolonged exposure to snoring can damage hearing.
