The Impact of Snoring

Snoring is known to cause sleep deprivation to snorers and those around them, as well as daytime drowsiness (which leads to chronic fatigue), irritability, lack of focus and decreased sex drive. It can cause significant psychological and social damage to both sufferers and their partners.

Multiple studies now show that persistent snoring due to chronic airway obstruction can increase a person’s life time risk of stroke, high blood pressure, and heart problems including heart failure. Loud snoring has been linked with the development of carotid artery atherosclerosis. Researchers hypothesize that loud snoring creates turbulence in carotid artery blood flow closest to the airway. This increased turbulence irritates blood cells in the region and has been shown to multiply the risk of atherosclerosis by 10 times!

Obstructive sleep apnea in children can possibly increase the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, no matter the age of your loved one, if you suspect such conditions related to their snoring, it is essential to discuss it and help them to seek treatment.

For snorers who choose to dismiss this affliction and live with it; they are in fact suffering from a severe impairment of lifestyle and can in fact drastically improve quality of life just by making minor changes.

Snoring can get in the way of a good night’s sleep and a healthy relationship with your spouse or partner. Many couples affected by snoring resort to sleeping in separate bedrooms in order to get a good night’s sleep. This arrangement may help both people sleep better, but it can disrupt communication and intimacy. Eventually, lack of bedtime chatting and physical intimacy can lead to a strained relationship. The person who snores often becomes isolated and frustrated about a problem they seemingly have no control over.