Breathing stopped 263 times in one night. Why is snoring so harmful?

"I heard you snoring last night. You slept so soundly!"

In life, we often hear such conversations. Many people think that snoring means a sound sleep, especially when the snoring is deafening, they think that the person sleeps particularly well. So, does snoring mean a sound sleep or a good sleep?

In fact, snoring does not mean you sleep well! This is the case with an old man who recently became a hot topic.

01

Snoring is a disease and must be treated!

Long-term and severe snoring is a disease called sleep apnea syndrome, which refers to loud snoring, short wheezing, and breathing pauses lasting more than 10 seconds and alternating breathing patterns, that is, the airflow from the mouth and nose stops but chest and abdominal breathing still exists. In real life, breathing pauses lasting dozens of seconds are also relatively common.

When apnea occurs during sleep, it will lead to a decrease in oxygen in the blood. If you snore all night, you will inhale less oxygen than normal people, and lack of oxygen will affect brain function. Therefore, people who snore for a long time may affect their memory, and some people may experience morning headaches, bad tempers, etc. In severe cases, it may cause high blood pressure and cerebrovascular diseases, and even cause sudden death at night.

People who snore for a long time often experience daytime lack of energy, fatigue, morning headaches, dullness, decreased attention, judgment and alertness, depression, anxiety, irritability, dry mouth and high blood pressure. If snoring during sleep is accompanied by apnea, daytime sleepiness or long breathing intervals during sleep, you should pay attention.

Snoring, medical illustration | Tuchong Creative

Among obese people, snorers account for a high proportion, with the proportion of obese men and women snoring at 52.2% and 34.2% respectively. Moreover, for every 1kg/㎡ increase in body mass index, the risk of habitual snoring increases by 19%; for every 1cm increase in waist circumference, the risk of habitual snoring increases by 6%. In other words, the fatter a person is, the more likely they are to snore.

02

Snoring can easily lead to many diseases

1. Hyperlipidemia

Snoring may cause chronic intermittent hypoxia stimulation, which in turn leads to insulin resistance, increased gluconeogenesis, and increased triglyceride synthesis. Studies have shown that among people aged 35 to 59 in my country, the more they snore, the higher their triglyceride levels will be. The louder the snoring, the higher the average triglyceride level will be, and the increase rate is showing a clear increasing trend.

2. Diabetes

Studies have shown that snoring can easily lead to diabetes, and people who snore and are obese are the most at risk. Compared with people who do not snore or snore less, their risk of developing diabetes increases by 12% and 14% respectively.

3. Hypertension

Snoring can easily lead to high blood pressure, and the risk is significantly higher than that of non-snorers. There is a type of secondary hypertension caused by snoring, which lowers blood pressure by improving sleep apnea.

4. Fatty liver

Habitual snoring can also be used to predict non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Studies have found that people who snore at least three times a week have a 29%-72% increased risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared to those who do not snore.

5. Myocardial infarction

In severe snoring, breathing stops repeatedly, causing a significant decrease in the oxygen content in the blood, which can cause hypoxia in tissue cells throughout the body. Frequent hypoxia can also cause damage to blood vessel walls, increase the risk of thrombosis, and cause myocardial infarction. Studies have found that people who snore loudly every night are 77% more likely to suffer a myocardial infarction than those who do not snore. People who snore more than three times a week while sleeping have a 2.7 times higher risk of myocardial infarction than those who do not snore. Especially among men and young people, the risk of myocardial infarction caused by snoring is higher.

According to relevant reports, about 3,000 people die every day from diseases caused by snoring. If you find yourself with severe symptoms of sleep apnea, you should seek medical attention in time for further diagnosis and treatment.

Stressed woman covers her ears with a pillow | Tuchong Creative

03

How to tell if you have sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is slightly different from ordinary snoring. To determine whether you have sleep apnea, you need to see if you have the following symptoms:

1. Snoring is loud and irregular, and intermittent; the patient wakes up from sleep due to breath holding or gasping.

2. Fatigue and drowsiness during the day. Some serious patients may even fall asleep during meetings, chatting, or driving.

3. Headache, morning headache due to lack of oxygen.

4. Personality changes and other systemic complications, including bad temper, intellectual and memory loss, and sexual dysfunction. In severe cases, it can cause hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease.

If the above symptoms occur, you need to go to the hospital for medical treatment and do respiratory sleep monitoring to further determine whether it is obstructive sleep apnea.

04

How to treat snoring

1. Lose weight. Obesity is one of the important causes of sleep apnea syndrome. For obese patients, weight loss has a more obvious effect.

2. Quit smoking and drinking. Smoking can stimulate nasopharyngeal mucosal edema and produce chronic inflammation; alcohol can paralyze nerves, reduce muscle tension, and aggravate symptoms.

3. Change sleeping position. For patients with mild symptoms, sleeping on your side can reduce the impact of gravity and thus alleviate symptoms.

If the above methods are not effective, it is recommended to go to a specialist hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.

Author: Wang Xing, deputy chief physician of the Cardiovascular Center of a tertiary hospital

Review | He Yao, Researcher, Institute of Geriatrics, PLA General Hospital

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