Snoring can keep your spouse up at night. However, even if they can sleep through it, you still don’t want to ignore it. There are several health problems that have been associated with snoring. Before reaching for the earplugs, make sure your snoring isn’t a symptom of one of these more serious conditions.
Stroke
There have been studies that have linked snoring to stroke. Snoring can be a sign of carotid atherosclerosis. This is a condition that occurs when the plaque builds up inside of the carotid arteries. If you have carotid atherosclerosis, then you will be more likely to have a stroke. This condition can be reversed through treatment, but only if you see a doctor to have it properly diagnosed first.
Heart Disease
If you get the proper snoring treatment, then you can protect your heart. Snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. People who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop heart disease. Snoring can also increase the risk of irregular heart rhythm. This means that the vibrations of your snoring could actually be throwing your heart off of its usual pattern, which is especially dangerous for the elderly.
GERD
GERD is short for gastroesophageal reflux disease. Sleep apnea can increase the risk of GERD. The way that your throat closes can cause the contents of your stomach to come back up. While this likely won’t lead to you puking in your sleep, it does cause severe damage to your esophagus over time due to the stomach acid settling there. It is important to note that GERD and snoring are both linked to being overweight. Many people notice that their symptoms improve after they lose weight.
Bad Sleep
If you are snoring, you’re doing more than potentially keeping up the rest of the house. Snoring often indicates that you aren’t getting enough oxygen while you sleep, and you can even wake yourself up periodically throughout the night without even knowing it because of this. This condition is known as sleep apnea, and it leads to long nights that aren’t as restful as your body needs them to be. Sleep apnea can be diagnosed with a sleep study and then treated with a mask that you wear while you sleep.
Mental Health Problems
Snoring and sleep apnea not only affects you physically, but they can also affect you mentally. A lack of sleep can increase the risk of depression. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to anxiety.
The anxiety and depression can have an adverse effect on every part of your life. It will be harder for you to work and complete your activities of daily living. Anxiety and depression can also have a negative impact on the relationships that you have with other people.
Snoring may not bother your spouse, but it is still a problem. Stroke, heart attack, and GERD are some of the health issues that have been linked to snoring. People who snore are also more prone to developing anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Furthermore, you are more likely to get injured if you are sleep-deprived.