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Is snoring bad for my health?
Q. I'm told I snore at night. I was completely unaware of it. Is snoring unhealthy?
A. About 28% of women ages 30-60 snore regularly. It's usually not a serious problem, unless it's caused by sleep apnea (more on this below). Snoring occurs when air can't move freely through the passageway at the back of the nose and mouth. Soft tissues, including the soft palate, uvula, and - if you haven't had them removed - tonsils surround this area. During sleep, these tissues relax, and air passing through can cause the vibrating sounds we call snoring.
The sources of snoring vary. Nasal passages may be swollen by a cold, an allergy, or smoking. A deformity such as a deviated nasal septum (the wall separating the nostrils) can obstruct the airway. Breathing through a stuffy or blocked nose creates a vacuum in the throat and causes the floppy tissues of the upper airway to draw together. A large uvula, tonsils, adenoids, soft palate, or tongue, or a small jaw, may be part of the problem. Poor muscle tone in the tongue and jaw, excess weight, and use of alcohol or sedating drugs may also contribute. Sleeping on your back tends to make the problem worse.
In about 8% of women who snore, it's a symptom of sleep apnea. In a person with sleep apnea, loud snoring alternates with periods of obstructed breathing that last for a minute or two throughout the night. The obstructive episodes reduce blood levels of oxygen, causing the heart to pump faster. Carbon dioxide levels rise, and eventually the sleeper must gasp, often loudly, to get more air. The condition is associated with high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
Mention your snoring to your clinician. She or he will evaluate your symptoms and possibly recommend that you be monitored in a sleep laboratory. Lifestyle changes can help reduce snoring. Lose excess pounds, avoid alcohol or sedatives before bedtime, sleep on your side rather than your back, and treat nasal congestion due to allergies or a cold.
Several devices help relieve snoring. Nasal strips placed over the upper part of the nose help widen nasal passages. You can also be fitted with a device that repositions the soft palate. If you have documented sleep apnea, insurance may pay for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which keeps your airway open while you sleep.
- Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D. Editor in Chief, HWHW
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| Last updated: | August 21, 2006 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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