Did you know it is not that difficult to quit snoring? If snoring keeps you awake at night, chances are it’s not only your brain that’s affected. In this article we talk about the 10 health risks of snoring, and how you can prevent snoring without resorting to surgery.
1. Obesity
Obesity is not a result of snoring, but more a condition that leads to snoring. Snoring is more commonly found in men than in women, but people who are obese have a greater tendency to snore than people who have a normal body weight.
Why does obesity lead to snoring? Overweight people have more fat around the throat and neck; their chests are also heavier and the breathing process is thus more difficult.
Attention! If you are overweight and snoring you risk developing a condition known as sleep apnoea. Find out more about sleep apnoea here.
2. Stroke
Did you know that the intensity of snoring can influence your arteries’ condition? Snoring can contribute to increasing the risk of carotid atherosclerosis. The condition develops due to the fatty deposits that narrow the arteries in the neck. As a result, you can suffer a stroke because your head/brain are not irrigated enough with blood.
If you are known to have a loud snoring, it is high time to search for a snoring cure. It is even more important to make a doctor’s appointment if you snore AND have high blood pressure or your breathing stops in your sleep.
3. Arrhythmias
Arrhythmia is a condition in which the heart has an irregular rhythm. This health problem has several causes, one of them being linked to snoring. Scientists found that if you suffer from sleep apnoea (a cause of snoring) it can enlarge your left atrium over a long period of time.
This condition is not caused over night; it can take years to develop as a side-effect of snoring. However, it is a risk you should not ignore.
4. Heart Disease
As you can see, a lot of the health conditions that can develop due to snoring affect the heart. Indeed, sleep apnoea is linked to cardiovascular diseases, among them being included coronary artery disease, blood pressure, and heart attacks.
The good news is that snoring can be treated effectively using a non-invasive treatment. Read on to find out more…
5. Gastroesphageal reflux disease
This is a very common condition in people with snoring problems, originating from the faulty way in which they breathe when they are asleep. Their throat closes and opens irregularly during sleep, which can cause pressure changes in your stomach. This can lead to the contents of your stomach to be sucked back into your oesophagus. Not healthy and definitely not pleasant!
Why not get help with your snoring right now? See our snoring treatments.
6. Injury
Now we’re touching base with the aftermaths of snoring; one of the results of sleep apnoea and snoring is fatigue. You can actually feel so tired during the day that you can suffer from daytime sleepiness. Snoring leaves your body exhausted, so your body could feel the need to recover during daytime. Fall asleep again for a few minutes. This can be extremely dangerous because it can happen while you are driving, for example.
7. Mental health issues
When you are not getting enough sleep or when you can’t enjoy quality sleeps, if you suffer from daytime sleepiness, if you have headaches, or if your body is exhausted because of your sleep apnoea and snoring condition you run very high risks of developing mental health issues.
These mental health issues include mild depressions and anxiety, among others.
8. Headaches
Also a result of sleep deprivation, headaches are not at all pleasant. If you suffer from migraines or headaches, you should really see a doctor. Although produced by snoring and irregular sleeping patterns, headaches can lead to severe health conditions.
Snoring can affect the quality of your life, headaches being just one aspect of this.
9. Nocturia
You may wonder: “How can snoring cause nocturia (night time urination)?” Even though nocturia is more an age-related health condition, recent studies proved that it can also develop in people who snore or individuals suffering from sleep apnoea. This may be because you wake up more often when snoring, even though you are not fully aware of it.
10. Less sexual satisfaction
Another interesting study conducted on 827 people proved that the louder someone snores, the lower their levels of sexual satisfaction. This can be linked to their brains not being able to process sexual arousal; it can be linked to brain’s fatigue due to sleep deprivation. Many people who are affected by snoring report that they don’t feel aroused, they don’t desire intimate relations, and their sexual activity is sometimes non-existent.