Do you have a snoring partner? Or do you yourself snore? Then you must have experienced the absolute ordeal that this condition is.
Snoring happens to be a very common condition, and anyone can get affected by it. But it should be considered here that that this is a more common phenomenon in case of men and those who are overweight. With age this usually worsens. But in spite of that, most of us have a tendency to ignore it.
But before you discard this as something very ordinary you should know that there is a 40 percent greater chance of dying early for people whose snoring is caused by sleep apnea. This is simply because this disorder is related to hosts of health issues ranging from depression to heart ailments.
So if you snore or are aware that you have sleep apnea here are some serious conditions associated with it.
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Choking, Gasping and Interrupted Breathing – One of the scariest side-effects of snoring happens to be gasping, interrupted breathing and choking that usually accompany it. If your partner witnesses or you realise that you experience frequent breathing interruptions lasting for more than 10 seconds, then it is likely that you have sleep apnea. This is one condition that is not only annoying and alarming, but it is also known to create adverse effects on your health. For treatment, therefore, you need to consult your doctor.
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Disturbances in Sleep – Snoring can keep you from sleeping soundly. While it may occur to you that this side-effect is obvious, there are many who don’t realise that the constant snoring can wake them up disrupting their all-important sleeping hours. There are others whose sleep disorder problem will not wake them up but keep them in light-sleep and deprive them from the restorative slumber that their bodies call for.
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Heart Ailment– Sleep Apnea is often associated with cardiovascular problems like the coronary artery disease as well as high blood pressure that consequently lead to the potential heart attacks. In fact, the research reveals that people who suffer from sleep apnea have almost double the chance of experiencing both the fatal heart attacks as well as the non-fatal heart ailments. However, there are effective treatments available for treating this condition. The CPAP or the continuous positive airway pressure reduces the risk of heart disease for those people who do not have sleep apnea.
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD – This one happens to be a chronic digestive ailment. In this case, the stomach acids retreat to the oesophagus and the tender lining gets irritated because of that. While sleeping, the stomach acids back up into the oesophagus because of the disordered way the sleep apnea sufferer’s or snorer’s throat closes while the air enters and exits the lungs leading to changes in the pressure.
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Excessive Daytime Sleepiness – This can affect both the snorer and his or her partner. Not having sufficient naps at night can make anyone feel sleepy during the day. The side-effects of daytime drowsiness include everything from personal injury to poor work performance. The lack of sleep can reduce the awareness and time of reaction which make drowsy driving absolutely dangerous.
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Stroke – There are some side-effects of snoring that are less visible on a regular basis. Snoring, especially, the louder ones can play a role in the narrowing of the carotid atherosclerosis arteries that increases the chances of having a stroke. This is a side-effect of the extreme case and if you are experiencing that, it is time to consider treatment.
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Chronic Headaches – Snorers are often reported to suffer from frequent morning headaches. These are due to the alterations in the oxygen and carbon-do-oxide levels in the blood vessels.
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Mental Health Issues – Snoring does not create just physical side-effects. In fact, the lack of sleep is seen to have adverse effects on the mental health, too, as someone is more prone to depression and anxiety when he or she does not have sufficient sleep. As lack of proper slumber is associated with snoring and sleep apnea, it is not a surprise that poor mental health and snoring are linked. However, the relationship between them is still being explored.
The above are some of the major health risks associated with snoring and sleep apnea. These are precisely the reasons why you should not ignore this condition and go for immediate medical help if you are a snorer.
