How snoring affects your health and what you can do about it

It is not totally clear why some people snore and others don’t, but what is known is that snoring can be bad for your health. There are several bad effects it can have, but all is not lost as there are things you can do to reduce the risk of heavy snoring, which is the most dangerous sort.

You may be surprised at some of the medical problems associated with snoring, and how simple it is to reduce the possibility of you having a snoring issue.

Heart Problems

From strokes to heart attacks, snoring increases the risk of them happening. This is partly because you snore because you are breathing through your mouth when you are asleep. This can cause the arteries in your neck to narrow, which means you are more likely to suffer a stroke.

High blood pressure and other coronary artery diseases are also more possible when you snore, but studies have shown that reducing the snoring also reduces the risk of heart attacks and other heart-related problems.

You need to breathe through your nose when you are asleep, but this may sound easier said than done as controlling this when you are sleeping does not sound simple. There are ways to help, such as forming the habit of breathing through your nose in the day, or by using adhesive strips for your mouth that are comfortable and still allow free and natural movement of your jaw.

Stomach Problems

Because people snore when they breathe through their mouth, it can affect the airflow in your windpipe, which in turn can affect your esophagus. It can create a vacuum that brings food back up and you will know this is happening when you suffer from acid reflux.

You can help to reduce the risk of this happening by not eating or drinking for at least a couple of hours before going to sleep, and certainly, you should avoid a heavy meal in this time frame. This is a problem that seems to occur more often in people that are overweight, and reducing how much you weigh could help to resolve it.

BECOMING DANGEROUS

People who snore do not sleep deeply enough and will often wake up still feeling tired. That is not good if you have to drive to work every day or operate machinery once you are there. You can become a danger to yourself and others if you fall asleep while driving, or when you should be alert because of the machinery you are working with.

You need to look at ways of stopping the snoring, such as using mouth strips or losing weight if that applies. Remove the dangers you are putting yourself in by stopping snoring when you sleep.

OTHER PROBLEMS CAUSED BY SNORING

There are many other problems that snoring can make worse or create them from the start. A lack of sexual satisfaction is one problem that disappears when snoring stops. Morning headaches, waking up several times in the night, and mental health issues have all been found to have a connection to a lack of deep sleep caused by snoring. There are even concerns that pregnant women who snore are more likely to suffer from fetal complications.

Not sleeping properly because of snoring is generally not good for health at any age, but older men and women seem to be the worst affected. If you know you are snoring every time you go to sleep, you need to do something about it before it starts to affect your health.