Snoring can be a big problem; anyone who has to sleep next to a person who snores loudly knows how disruptive it can be. Your sleep may constantly get interrupted or you may not be able to sleep at all because of the loud noise. This problem could be solved if you purchase ear plugs or find another method to plug your ears and drown out the noise. However, a person who snores should not ignore the fact that they do it because it could be the sign of serious health problems.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is more common in men and those who are overweight, and it can get worse as you get older. The causes of it include blocked nasal passages, oversized tissue in the throat, a long and dangling uvula, and relaxed tongue muscles that have fallen into your airway and blocked any air flow. Problems with nasal passages occur more often in people who drink, use sleeping pills, or fall into a deep sleep. People who also snore may also suffer from a deviated septum or nasal polyps.
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Side Effects of Snoring
Those who have to sleep next to a person who snores are not the only ones who have trouble sleeping. A person who snores might constantly be woken up by the person sleeping next to them in an attempt to temporarily stop the noise. They can also feel sleep deprived by being woken up throughout the night when their own snoring gets too loud. Other side effects include fatigue during the day, have trouble focusing while they are awake, and feeling irritable or cranky.
Health Problems That Snoring May Signal
People who snore have the possibility of developing sleep apnea as the result of having their airway passages blocked. A person with sleep apnea can either stop breathing or experience shallow breaths while they sleep. Some people have surgery to help eliminate snoring and to stop suffering from sleep apnea. If nothing is done about the snoring and the sleep apnea is left untreated, a person is put at a higher risk of experiencing heart failure or developing cardiac arrhythmia.
Snoring can also be a warning sign for heart attacks, strokes, type II diabetes, weight gain, depression, and sexual or cognitive dysfunction. People who snore tend to have a thickening of their artery walls which causes oxygen levels in their blood to decrease. The lowering of oxygen levels in the blood can lead to heart disease. A person with heart disease has too much plaque on the walls of their arteries. A continuous buildup of plaque can lead to an increase in the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or experiencing heart failure.
Excessive snoring is also a sign that a person may be suffering from high blood pressure or high levels of cholesterol. Those who snore and develop sleep apnea have an increased risk of having high blood pressure. Their nasal passages are blocked, and the constant interruption of breathing can cause a person to have high blood pressure. Also, those who snore tend to suffer from sleeplessness, which puts a person more at risk of having high cholesterol.
Snoring is more than just annoying: it is a medical issue that should never be ignored. It can be the sign of a serious health problem such as high blood pressure or can be an early warning sign that a person may have a heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, there are surgeries and other methods that can be pursued that eliminate snoring and cut down on a person’s risk of having severe health problems.
This article was written together with Travis Guerrero, a health and nutrition expert who looks forward to helping you live a healthier life. He writes this on behalf of Apnix Sleep Diagnostics, your number one choice when looking for help regarding snoring in Houston. Check out their website today and see what they can do for you!
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