How to stop snoring for better health

How to stop snoring for better health

Snoring is an obnoxious issue that plagues as many as 45% of the population at one time or another. It is distracting, loud and has led to the demise of countless otherwise happy relationships. Snoring is more than just a simple nighttime announce, it can also be indicative of a serious health issue.

Snoring is caused when the muscles in your airway become overly relaxed and collapsing in on one another obstructing the passage of air to your lungs. These collapsed muscles then vibrate against each other when the individual breathes in and out. Obstructive sleep apnea is perhaps the most serious disorder associated with snoring. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a disorder that causes an individual to stop breathing when they sleep, either for a very brief second or two, or long enough to cause severe injury and even death. There have been cases where an individual will stop breathing for up to 10 seconds or more hundreds of times each night.

While death is a severe and rare occurrence, there are other symptoms that can occur when one suffers from obstructive sleep apnea due to snoring.

High Blood Pressure

Individuals who ignore the signs of obstructive sleep apnea will at some point or another suffer from the effects of inadequate sleep. The afflicted person will wake many times during the night due to the lack of oxygen being delivered to the blood stream. The individual may not even realize upon waking that these episodes even occurred obscured by the memory of a half-conscious state. They will often feel tired and drowsy during the day, adding to the stress of daily life.

The lack of oxygen during the night may cause an enlargement of the heart, which can lead to high blood pressure. When coupled with the stress caused by their lack of sleep, the two problems can feed on each other and create a cycle of deteriorating health.

The effects of this higher blood pressure in turn lead to further problems including a greater risk for heart attack and stroke.

Diabetes

Most of us don't automatically think to associate snoring with diabetes, however there is a positive correlation between the two problems. The lack of meaningful rest and increased stress levels lead to an increase of adrenaline production in the body. Adrenaline production is directly linked to the lack of oxygen experienced during the interrupted sleep cycle. Adrenaline is the chemical our bodies secrete to deal with stress. Long-term overproduction of adrenaline due to snoring related deprivations can cause an increase in blood sugar and an increased risk of diabetes.

Deciding When to Seek Help

There are several symptoms of the ill effects of snoring that are evident while we are awake and active during the day. These symptoms may indicate that the individuals snoring problem is more severe than a mere nightly nuisance. If we find ourselves so drowsy during the day that we are falling asleep at inappropriate times, we might be getting far less sleep at night than we think we are. Others signs may include irritability, lack of concentration or depression.

If you live with someone who snores and is suffering some of these symptoms, or if you find these symptoms apply to you there are many treatment options. Dental mouthpieces, or nighttime breathing machines can help address the problem. Do not hesitate to see your physician if you suspect that your nighttime snoring is related to any of these health issues.