Is Snoring Dangerous? Knowing the Snoring Effects on Health
The answer is yes! Can you die from snoring? Yes again! Snoring isn’t just annoying and disruptive for your – and your partner’s – sleep cycle, but if you find that while snoring, you stop breathing for a brief moment, this can increase your risk for multiple life-threatening conditions.
There are a variety of different reasons a person might begin snoring. Some common causes are allergies, obesity, alcohol consumption, genetics, and illnesses like cold or flu, but it can also be a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. If your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, your health could be in serious trouble.
According to the American Heart Association, there are numerous snoring effects on health. Sleep apnea prevents restful sleep and is associated with high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke and heart failure, and there is strong evidence for the relationship between sleep apnea, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Because heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, and high blood pressure is a major risk factor for both, the unfortunate answer to “could sleep apnea kill you?” is yes, if not properly addressed.
How do you manage your health by managing your snoring?
The people at The Healthy offer some helpful tips:
- Change Positions
- Weight Management
- Avoid Alcohol/Sedatives
- Get Enough Sleep
- Nasal Strips
- Fight Nasal Congestion
- Remove Allergens
- Hydrate
- Control Food Intake
- Use a Humidifier to Moisten Air
Get better rest by avoiding alcoholic or caffeinated beverages before bed, taking a warm bath or drinking herbal tea, increasing daily physical activity, or seeking help from a sleep doctor for diagnosis and recommendations for using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Professional care is extremely important to help you manage your snoring and guarantee you a more restful night’s sleep.
It’s important to get ahead of the problem and rule out any potentially life-threatening conditions. Talking to your doctor and getting proper treatment is the number one way to avoid negative snoring effects on health.
To learn more about sleep health, participate in one of our upcoming Community Health Talks! Visit our website to see the full calendar of events HERE.
