6 health risks of snoring: High blood pressure, heart disease, chronic fatigue, more

Snoring is considered a noisy habit and an annoyance to your partner, but the disruptions to your breathing during sleep could be your body trying to warn you about something more seriously wrong with your health. Chronic and loud snoring — most ominously when you combine this with gasping, breath pauses or sleepiness during the day — is a red flag that your sleep hygiene might be compromised and your life at risk.

Bad sleep not only messes up your energy levels, but also your heart, brain, metabolism, and even mood. Loud snoring can signal serious problems like sleep apnea, breathing problems due to obesity or cardiovascular disease, and it calls for an immediate evaluation by your doctor.

Says Dr Kavita Rao, a sleep medicine specialist from Bengaluru and Owner of Mental and Wellness platform Healing Health, “Snoring occurs when the flow of air through the mouth and nose is partially blocked during sleep, causing surrounding tissues to vibrate. While most people snore every now and then, if it is loud and persistent it can indicate medical problems that need attention."

Also read | Snoring and sleep apnea: Difference between the two, symptoms, causes, treatment options

Here are six important messages your sleep might be sending you if you’re a loud snorer, according to Dr Rao.

• You Might Have Sleep Apnea

Loud snoring, with choking or gasping, can cause obstructive sleep apnea. If you are facing repeated halts in breathing, it will eventually lead to less fresh oxygen reaching both your heart and brain for periods of up to 30 seconds.

• How Your Breathing May Be Influenced By Your Weight

An increase in weight, especially in the neck area, can cause a reduction in the size of the airway and thus amplify snores. Dr Rao notes losing just a small amount of weight can help solve the issue by lowering the amount of fat deposits in the neck.

• Your Heart Might Be Working Overtime

It becomes high risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke (snoring and sleep apnea mixed with this stop -start breathing). And those drops in oxygen level while you are asleep can cause the heart to really work overtime.

Also read | How to stop snoring: Add these 9 foods in your daily diet

• Your Sleep Quality Is Poor

While you are sleeping for eight hours, the disruptions mean you are spending less time in deep sleep. This leads to dry mouth and grogginess in the morning.

• You Might Have Nasal or Throat Issues

Swelling from allergic reactions and the resulting blockage in sinuses or nasal congestion can trigger snoring. Also, structural issues like a deviated septum or enlarged adenoids or tonsils or obesity in the neck area due to weight could be the cause.

• Your Risk for Daytime Accidents Is Higher

Because the resultant poor-quality sleep causes exhaustion, things like road traffic accidents and lower work efficiency tend to happen during the day.