Why you shouldn't ignore snoring

Snoring can occur in any person and at any age; nevertheless, the incidence of snoring increases progressively with age. During normal sleep the muscles of the tongue and soft palate keep the airways open. If these muscles are too relaxed, then the lumen of the airways becomes narrower and the passage of air is partially blocked. Breathing in and out results in the vibration of the relaxed part of the throat which creates the snoring sounds.

The causes of snoring vary and include:

• Deviated nasal septum;
• Congenital narrowness of the nasal passages and/or throat;
• Enlarged tonsils or nasal polyps;
• Elongated uvula
• Malocclusion;
• Hypothyroidism;
• Overweight.

Other factors that reduce pharyngeal tone and promote snoring include certain neuromuscular diseases as well as the use of alcohol, sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

Snoring itself is neither a disease nor a diagnosis. However, it can be a symptom of a pathology or disorder; therefore, it should not be ignored. Men have a greater tendency to snoring than women due to the anatomic features of their respiratory tract structure – they are wider in men than in women. Nevertheless, snoring can be a threat to the health of both males and females.

In some cases snoring can promote the development of pathological conditions. It happens when snoring disturbs the structure of sleep causing frequent awakenings with transitions to superficial sleep. The body becomes deprived of the possibility to rest and recover properly and that has negative influence not only on the quality of sleep but also on the quality of "day" life.

Snoring can be the first stage of the condition called sleep apnea which is characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Severe forms of apnea can cause up to 400-500 stops of breathing for a total of 3-4 hours per night which causes acute and chronic oxygen deficit during sleep. During these periods the body experiences severe stress: the heart rhythm is disturbed, blood pressure goes up, oxygen content in the blood drops drastically which affects the functioning of the brain. All that causes insomnia and morning fatigue.

Moreover, chronic snoring can trigger the development of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Some recent studies have indicated that arterial hypertension is one of the most common complications of sleep apnea. About 40-90% of patients suffering from sleep apnea have hypertension as well. Periodical nocturnal cessations of breathing cause the development of hypoxia and in order to increase oxygen concentration in blood the body has to raise blood pressure and increase the activity of the cardiovascular system. In addition, the awakenings or transitions to superficial sleep that happen during the episodes of apnea cause significant activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Such additional load on the body during episodes of sleep apnea results in arterial hypertension.

Sleep apnea systematically worsens the functioning of the heart and circulatory system; it considerably increases the risks of myocardial infarction, stroke, atherosclerosis and even sudden death during sleep. In these cases the elimination of snoring becomes a priority in the treatment of cardiovascular disorders.

Cardiogod offers great information regarding cardiovascular health. There you can find info on heart diseases and tips on how to treat and prevent them.