Why You Should Never Ignore Snoring: The Lung–Sleep Connection

Have your partner or parents ever mentioned about your loud snoring?

The sound of snoring is usually loud enough and intense enough to shake walls and become bothersome to most people. However, a lot of people often think of snoring as simply something to deal with or to ignore because it's common.

In fact, snoring may be an indication of more than just being annoying and could be a serious warning sign from your body about problems related to your lungs or overall health.

In many cases, snoring can mean you are experiencing a condition called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Here is an outline detailing the symptoms of OSA that you should not overlook and plan your visit to a pulmonary hospital in Delhi.

Snoring is Not "Just Snoring"

When you breathe in, the relaxed tissues in your throat vibrate due to the airflow passing through them. The narrower your airways are, the greater the airflow force will be, resulting in a higher volume of sound (loud snoring).

However, with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), those narrowed airways can actually close off occasionally or completely for short periods of time. As a result, your breathing may stop completely for multiple instances (5 to 30 or more) per hour! When your brain detects that you're not breathing, it will momentarily wake you up, which may be accompanied by snorting or gasping sounds that you may not remember, to enable your airway to open back up.

The repeated cycle of pausing and resuming breathing distinguishes "just snoring" from being a potential health emergency.

The Critical Lung-Sleep Connection

The importance of staying alive and thriving as a human species relies on our lungs receiving continuous oxygen. Therefore, how we perceive sleep is connected to our overall health, and one way this connection is created is through obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA causes difficulty in getting enough oxygen while sleeping, which decreases the level of blood oxygen saturation throughout the body.

Our body reacts to decreased oxygen levels by going into "panic mode", which can manifest by waking up suddenly, gasping for air, or having your heart work significantly harder due to a decreased amount of oxygen, or hypoxia, in your body.

Many people with OSA experience a nighttime cycle of low or no oxygen, which is not only taxing but also puts a great deal of stress on all of your body's systems, especially the cardiovascular (heart) and vascular (artery/vein) systems.

The Hidden Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Snoring that is linked to OSA can lead to other serious health issues over time:

Heart problems: The frequent changes in blood oxygen levels at night can raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: This is more than just feeling sleepy. It affects your focus and mood and can even put you at risk while driving or working.

Diabetes and Metabolic Issues: Sleep Apnea is also connected to the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

What Should Be Your Next Step?

If someone noticed your loud snoring with symptoms like breathing pauses or gasping, or you have noticed these in your loved ones, don’t take it lightly. Take action immediately, this small problem might later cause major health emergency.

At Saroj, a super speciality hospitals in Pitampura, we have a dedicated department of respiratory medicine, critical care, and sleep disorders. We are here to help you breathe easily and finally get the restful sleep you deserve.

Breathe better, sleep better, and live better.