Snoring Can Lead To Heart Problems

Snoring is the act of breathing through the mouth when the flow of air is restricted through the nasal passage.

Snoring is caused due to the blockage in the breathing passage.

It causes vibration of uvula and soft palate and gives rise to sound which may be soft to unpleasant sound.

People who snore usually has problems such as excessive bulkiness of tissues of the throat, obstructed nasal airways, excessive length of soft palate and uvula and poor muscle tone.

It is found that thirty four percent of men are habitual snorers and are at high risk of OSA. The serious form of snoring is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is defined as the cessation of the breathing during sleep due to the obstruction of airways.

The cessation of breathing lasts for more than ten seconds. You will get up for breathing and go back to sleep again. It occurs hundreds of times per night.

This condition occurs due to the lack of muscle tone in upper airway that causes the airway to collapse. As have to get up to resume breathing, your night sleep may be disturbed. You may have tiredness, fatigue, and excessive sleepiness during daytime.

Sometimes, the airway may close partially and the person gets less than full breath. Due to the cessations of breathing, oxygen concentration in the blood decreases.

Lack of oxygen causes the patient’s heart to pump harder to circulate the blood quickly and it can lead to irregular heart beats and high blood pressure.

Snoring without blockage of breathing is not a serious problem. Severe snoring develops periods of pausing to their breathing and often results in disturbed sleep.

Disturbed sleep can lead to stress on the heart. As you snore and wake from sleep, the blood pressure rises and falls down during sleep and the heart has to work against upstream resistance. The oxygen levels fall down during sleep and due to this the heart muscle gets stiff.

Studies have found that risk of heart disease is more in snorers compared to non snorers. Disturbed sleep may lead to vehicular accidents, lack of concentration, and decrease in memory.

Snoring also disturbs your bed partner who is in the same room. People who snore intermittently in their 30’s, snore regularly in their forties and fifties and may develop hypertension and heart problems in their old age.

Snoring should not be considered as normal activity and if you suffer from snoring, you should take the treatment soon to cut down the risk of heart problems and strokes. Snoring or obstructive sleep apnea can be treated by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or somnoplasty treatment.

If you don’t want to go for surgery, you can use a sleep mask that delivers air pressure into the throat, which is called continuous positive airway pressure.

Apart from the treatment, you should change your lifestyle. You should avoid intake of caffeine, alcohol and other stimulants. You should avoid smoking.

If you are overweight, you should reduce your weight as bulkiness at throat may result in snoring. You should avoid diary products, heavy meals, and spicy foods before going to sleep.