Snoring - Unforeseen consequences

Snoring occurs at all ages and is very common. Statistics show that about 40% of the population snores. We often ignore or try to endure this disease without really paying proper attention to its serious health effects.

What causes snoring?The main cause of snoring is that the muscles around the throat relax too much during sleep, obstructing the air circulation. Meanwhile, our lungs still require a stable amount of air, so the brain sends a signal to increase breathing pressure, causing vibrations in the soft tissue and uvula in the throat, this vibration produces sounds called snoring.

Why is snoring harmful to health?When you snore, your airways are partially or completely blocked. This results in a reduction in the amount of air supplied to your lungs, a decrease in blood oxygen saturation, and then a pause in breathing. The pause in breathing can last up to 10 seconds and can be repeated many times during the night. You may not notice the short pauses in breathing - but your sleep is disrupted and your body is not getting the air it needs. If these disturbances continue, they can cause sleep apnea, which causes poor sleep and interrupted periods of deep sleep. As a result, the brain does not fully rest after a day of activity, making you feel lethargic and tired. Along with that, brain waves are disrupted, causing you to have reduced memory, work productivity, difficulty concentrating, and daytime sleepiness. More dangerously, sleep apnea increases the risk of sudden death at night and diseases such as: high blood pressure, heart attack, migraine, decreased sexual ability and reduced life expectancy.

People who snore a lot have a high risk of carotid atherosclerosis:The conclusion of a group of experts at the Ludwig Engel Center at Westmead Hospital (Australia) confirmed that people who snore loudly should have their heart checked because they face the risk of carotid atherosclerosis, the leading cause of stroke (According to the Times of India). After monitoring the sleep of 110 participants for a long time, scientists discovered that carotid atherosclerosis appeared at a rate of 20% in people who snored lightly (snored less than 25% of their sleep time), 32% in people who snored normally (from 25 to 50%) and 64% in people who snored heavily (snored more than half of their sleep time).

Snoring triples the risk of headaches and migraines:A group of researchers in Bethesda, USA, after studying 206 people with chronic migraines and 507 people with episodic migraines, concluded that the risk of migraines was 3 times higher in people who snored than in people who did not snore. This headache is closely related to sleep apnea in people who snore.

Snoring adversely affects the health of pregnant women and fetuses:Statistical studies show that 25% of pregnant women snore during the last 3 months of pregnancy. A study of 1,700 pregnant women conducted by scientists at the University of Michigan, USA, found that frequent snoring plays a major role in high blood pressure problems and the risk of preeclampsia. High blood pressure during pregnancy, especially preeclampsia, has been known to be associated with low birth weight and an increased risk of premature birth. High blood pressure is also the leading cause of maternal and child mortality in the world. In addition, breathing disorders during snoring in pregnant women can cause the fetus to lack oxygen and develop unhealthy.

Snoring affects intellectual and behavioral development in young children:Another snoring case that can be encountered with a not small rate is snoring in preschool children, especially obese children. A synthesis of studies from hospitals and research institutes in the UK, US, and Canada published in the Pediatrics journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that 9% of children aged 2-3 years old snore and these children show signs of behavioral disorders that affect their ability to concentrate, learn, and develop long-term.

According to Young Intellectuals