Why listening to your partner’s snoring can save their lives

Snoring is terrible when I’m lying on my back and my wife asks me to turn to my side and turn away from her more politely than ever before. Always, I get up early every morning, find her sleeping on the other side of our bed, plug in earplugs, and point my feet at her face, the poor woman. One day I may wake up to find her gone.

The knock-on effect of snoring can be seen in patients experiencing everything from unwavering laziness to decreased libido, lack of productivity at work to real depression. It is also one of the main reasons for marriage failure (after unfaithfulness and financial problems …), and snoring is often cited as an example of “irrational behavior” in divorce proceedings. Actor Tom Cruise was reported to have created another soundproof bedroom in his house, the “Noratorium,” so his wife Katie Holmes at the time was undisturbed. They split in 2012.

It goes without saying that living with a snorer can be an awakening hell for the other half, but the snoring is an obstructive sleep apnea that has not actually been diagnosed. If so, it can be more serious as a whole. Studies have shown that about half of all people who suffer from OSA not only have high blood pressure, but are much more likely to have a stroke, heart disease, or high blood pressure. A recent French study of 1,317 diabetics admitted to Covid-19 found that patients diagnosed with OSA shared common risk factors, primarily age, men, and problems. It was suggested that the risk of poor outcome due to the virus was significantly higher. High blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.

That is a fact supported by the recent death of my father. He had a chronic stuffy nose. I heard his voice all over the house every night. He hasn’t been tested on it, but I’m sure his death earlier this year is related to Covid. All symptoms are a cough that lasts for several weeks followed by pneumonia. His airways were severely blocked and he spent two weeks on a ventilator before he died. Critically, he was also very overweight – about 80% of people with OSA are overweight or obese, yet a decrease of only 5-10% in body mass index helps reduce the tendency to snore. can do.

The problem with persistent stuffy nose is that you are likely to know little about whether or not you have an OSA. Up to 90% of cases are undiagnosed. The important thing is to recognize the signs. In addition to snoring loudly, you wake up and breathe out, temporarily stop breathing during sleep, and feel tired during the day. If any of these symptoms recur consistently, you may need to see your GP and be screened for sleep apnea. As Dr. Kirstie Anderson, a consultant neurologist and sleep expert, explains, it is imperative that sleep-deprived partners monitor your breathing when you sleep (and they do. Not). “Your closest and loved one can begin to tune in to the long gap between snoring and sudden gasping or snoring as people resume breathing,” she says. “These gaps can be 20 or 30 seconds, but when this happens frequently, sleep begins to break and you often feel overly tired during the day.”

If snoring is caused by abnormalities in the nose or airways, specialists may recommend surgery, but various treatments usually need to be considered before reaching that stage. Some extreme stuffy noses (or those who also have sleep apnea) benefit from continuous positive airway pressure. In this case, wear a mask at night so that the machine pumps air through the nose (or nose and mouth) and keeps the airways open. But as Dr Allie Hare of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London explains, “It can be intolerable, especially for those who have only snoring or mild sleep apnea … CPAP is most effective, but worn every night. Must be. If you don’t wear it, it won’t work. “

Other help is available. The mouthguard, or “mandibular advance device,” can be worn at night. Mouthguards help pull the lower jaw forward, open up space behind the throat, and minimize snoring. You can also help reduce the chances of sleeping by your side. In some cases, removing adenoids and tonsils may benefit some patients, but this is more common in children than in adults.

The only other option is “earplugs suitable for partners,” Dr. Kirstie Anderson adds. Now I have an idea for a last-minute Christmas gift.