Can Snoring Be Dangerous to Your Health?

Snoring can be embarrassing. It can make you worried about sleeping, especially when you are at someone else’s home or while you are on a trip. It can even make your intimate relationship with your spouse or partner suffer. Worst of all, multiple studies have shown that snoring increases the risk of various health issues. These conditions include:  

• heart and blood vessel problems in children and adults
• high blood pressure during pregnancy
• diabetes before and after menopause
• premature aging in adolescents 
• lower sexual satisfaction in older men

Let’s take a closer look at these ways in which snoring can be bad for health. 

Heart and Blood Vessel Problems in Children and Adults

In a study¹, 110 children aged 6 to 18 underwent a sleep test. Their heart rate, blood-oxygen levels, and other vital signs were recorded. Based on the test results, the children were classified as non-snorers or primary snorers (i.e., snoring at least thrice a week without sleep disruption or breathing issues). After five years, the function and thickness of the children’s heart and blood vessel linings were checked. It was found that compared to the non-snorers, the primary snorers had linings with poorer function and greater thickness. Both of these characteristics promote the buildup of fats and cholesterol on blood vessel walls in adulthood. What’s more, the snoring children had higher blood pressure during sleep – a risk factor for serious damage to organs like the brain and kidneys.

Another study² involved 4,388 men aged 40 to 69. They indicated in questionnaires whether they snored habitually, frequently, sometimes, or never. For the next three years, the men’s hospital records and death certificates were used to check if they later had heart disease or stroke. A larger number of the habitual and frequent snorers were found to have developed either or both conditions. Also, the said health risks stayed more or less the same despite adjustments for several factors. Thus, based on the study, snoring men are more likely to suffer heart disease or stroke than non-snoring ones.

High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

A study³ had 469 pregnant women aged 20 to 32 as participants. They were asked to complete a questionnaire about insomnia, snoring, and apnea (a disorder in which breathing stops and restarts many times during sleep). The woman responded on a scale of 0 to 4 (0 = never, 1 = rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often and 4 = always) before pregnancy and during the third trimester. Later, their medical records were checked for high blood pressure during pregnancy. The condition was observed in a larger number of the women who snored habitually. These findings suggest that snoring pregnant women experience high blood pressure more often than their non-snoring counterparts do. 

Diabetes Before and After Menopause

More than 12,000 women aged 30 to 79 took part in a study⁴. First, they indicated in a questionnaire if they snored. The snorers then described whether they snored sometimes or frequently. Second, samples were collected from the participants to test them for diabetes, high blood pressure, and high fat levels in the blood. Third, the women’s height and weight were measured to calculate their body mass index (BMI). They were assessed for abdominal obesity too. Taking all these factors into account, the study found that women who frequently snore before and for at least 10 years after menopause are more likely to develop diabetes.

Other Health Problems

A total of 354 adolescents with an average age of 13.3 years were included in a study⁵. Their DNA samples were collected. Afterwards, the lengths of the telomeres (regions at the end of DNA strands) in the samples were measured. It was found that the adolescents with immune-related diseases (e.g., asthma, food allergy, etc.) had shorter telomeres. Based on these results, there is a link between snoring and premature aging in adolescents with the said diseases. 

In another study⁶, 827 men aged 51 to 90 assessed their own sexual function in a questionnaire. Then they filled out another questionnaire on their snoring habits (i.e., presence, seriousness, and frequency, etc.) The responses showed that men who snored heavily had much lower sexual satisfaction than non- or mild male snorers did.

Conclusion 

Although the studies above don’t really say what causes snoring, it’s clear that people who snore tend to have other health issues. So, it’s a good idea to get rid of this condition for good. If you’re ready to stop snoring naturally and permanently, check out The Snoring Diet Solution. This proven six-week program offers relief from snoring in as little as two weeks – so you'll minimize the health risks that come with it!

References

1.  Childhood Snoring Has Long-Term Adverse Effects on Cardiovascular Health
2.  Snoring as a Risk Factor for Ischaemic Heart Disease and Stroke in Men 
3.  Self-Reported Snoring, Maternal Obesity and Neck Circumference as Risk Factors for Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension and Preeclampsia 
4.  Association Between Snoring and Diabetes Among Pre- and Postmenopausal Women 
5.  Impact of Snoring on Telomere Shortening in Adolescents with Atopic Diseases  
6.  Snoring as a Risk Factor for Sexual Dysfunction in Community Men