Counting the N sins of snoring, the first one is enough to bear

Snoring is a common phenomenon in people's daily life. Although many popular science propaganda tells people that snoring is a disease, quite a number of ordinary people and even medical workers do not really realize the harm of snoring. Some even think that snoring is a sign of "sound sleep." Modern medical research has confirmed that severe snoring can cause great harm to health. So, what kind of health hazards does snoring cause? Let’s count down the various “crimes” of snoring below.

1. Accomplice of hypertension and diabetes

Severe snoring can cause repeated temporary cessation of breathing or reduction of airflow during sleep at night. After a period of cessation of breathing, the airflow will return to normal, but cessation of breathing will occur again soon. This repeated process of airflow cessation and restoration can seriously damage the blood vessel walls, causing a decrease in blood vessel elasticity, thereby causing or aggravating high blood pressure. In addition, this frequent airflow cessation and recovery process can cause insulin resistance and disrupt sugar metabolism in the body, thereby inducing the occurrence of diabetes.

2. The trigger of myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction

Repeated breathing cessation caused by severe snoring will lead to a decrease in the oxygen content in the blood, causing hypoxia in tissue cells throughout the body. Tissue hypoxia will cause corresponding changes in the body. The most direct change is an increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood. The increase in the number of red blood cells will increase the probability of blood vessel blockage, just like an increase in the number of vehicles on the road causing traffic congestion. In addition, frequent hypoxia can cause damage to the blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of blood clots in the blood vessels. Once a blood clot breaks off, it can easily block the blood vessels in the heart, brain, and lungs, causing fatal myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, and pulmonary infarction.

3. The culprit for constant drowsiness and lack of energy

The repeated temporary cessation of breathing at night caused by snoring will interfere with a person’s normal sleep structure and cause frequent micro-awakenings during sleep. These micro-awakenings unknowingly "steal" your real sleep and make you sleep a lot of "false sleep". Many physiological processes of the human body and the recovery of energy and physical strength are completed during a specific sleep period. Changes in sleep structure will cause disruptions in these physiological processes, resulting in a series of problems such as daytime sleepiness, inattention, memory loss, and low work efficiency.

4. Catalyst for the development of malignant tumors

Studies in recent years have confirmed that severe snoring can significantly increase the incidence and mortality of malignant tumors. The repeated hypoxia caused by snoring can cause gene mutations and changes in cell growth patterns in the human body, thereby inducing the occurrence of malignant tumors, increasing the growth rate of tumors and increasing the mortality rate. A 22-year overseas study confirmed that people with severe snoring (medically known as sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome) have a 4.8 times higher mortality rate from malignant tumors than the normal population.

5. Other "crimes"

Snoring can cause hypoxia in organs throughout the body. Hypoxia in any cell can cause damage. Therefore, the damage caused by snoring is systemic. It has been confirmed that in addition to the above-mentioned hazards, snoring can also cause arrhythmia, heart failure, asthma, sexual dysfunction, depression, increased nocturia, glaucoma, slowed growth and development in children, lipid metabolism disorders and many other problems.

Snoring treatment methods

1. Use a snoring device to treat sleep physically. The principle is: by placing a personalized instrument in the mouth, the patient's lower jaw is fixed in an appropriate forward position. The forward protrusion of the lower jaw causes the genioglossus muscle to pull the tongue forward, so that the breathing passage at the back of the tongue is opened. At the same time, the forward movement of the tongue reduces the pressure of the tongue on the uvula, and the respiratory passage behind it is also opened. Thereby increasing ventilation volume, improving oxygen supply, eliminating or reducing snoring, and being an effective treatment for snoring. This treatment method is non-invasive, low-cost and effective; the disadvantage is that it takes patients a few days to adapt to sleeping with a snoring device.

2. Conservative treatment for weight loss; improving sleeping position, avoiding lying on your back with a high pillow and your head bent forward; instrumental therapy, such as nasal valve dilator, self-flowing tongue depressor, etc.

3. Diet: Eat more light food, such as vegetables, fruits, smoke less and do not drink alcohol. Go to bed early and get up early. Physical exercise can reduce snoring symptoms.