Livestrong: How bad is it really to snore?
UC sleep expert says loud snoring may be a risk factor for stroke
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, about 40% of people assigned male at birth and 24% of people assigned female at birth snore on a regular basis. In an article on snoring by Livestrong.com, Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine and was heavily quoted. She discussed the basic mechanics of snoring as well as the difference between snoring and sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is kind of like snoring on steroids. If you have complete sleep apnea, the collapse of the airway entirely cuts off oxygen flow.
"You start to breathe in, and even though your abdomen, diaphragm and the muscles of the chest are trying to get air in, the throat muscles and throat tissue are closed," Romaker says. "Your body churns out a burst of adrenaline, causing you to snort and then go on breathing."
Ann Romaker, MD, of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the UC College of Medicine/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand
Romaker, the director of the Sleep Medicine Center at UC Medical Center, also touched on some of the more serious health problems associated with snoring.
"There is evidence that loud snoring may be a risk factor for stroke, even if you don't have apnea," Romaker says.
For those with sleep apnea, they face the risk of an array of other potential health dangers.
"Having your oxygen levels diving up and down, in addition to the surge of adrenaline during the night, puts stress on the heart, brain and blood vessels," Romaker says. "Apnea that is left untreated over time has been shown to cause high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, heart rhythm problems, car accidents, impotence, diabetes, Alzheimer's and even cancer."
Romaker was also featured in a story on WKRC-TV/ Local12 on the impact the time change has on our sleep. See that story here.
Lead photo/Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
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