Snoring
is defined simply as the noise of vibrating soft
tissues of the upper airway. Snoring occurs in
one-third of the American population. When
someone is not breathing well due to upper
airway obstruction and not enough oxygen reaches
the lungs, changes in biochemistry occur. If
that continues, oxygen saturation may occur.
Carbon dioxide, which is a byproduct of
breathing, is not being removed from the lungs.
Normally, you breathe oxygen and release carbon
dioxide from the lungs. For the person with an
obstruction of the upper airway (snoring) there
may not be sufficient oxygen reaching the lungs
and the smae person may not be getting rid of
carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is toxic to the
tissues of the lungs. so with low oxygen and
high carbon dioxide, that person is likely to be
a very loud snorer. The more obstruction, the
more loudly the person will snore. Heart
muscles, nerves, pacemakers, and the brain
especially, may not receive enough oxygen. In
some, this can cause a dysfunction of the heart
muscles and generate arrhythmias. These can be
fatal if the person does not start breathing and
get more oxygen.
Kingman
Strohl, M.D., head of the sleep disorders
program at the Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs
Medical Center in Cleveland says, "The average
volume of snorers is 60 decibels, about as loud
as normal speech, but really loud snorers can
reach 80 to 82 decibels, the level of a loud
yell. And record-setters have registered at 90
decibels." That can be devastating for both
snorer and spouse, doctors say. The chronic lack
of sleep can make non-snoring partners
irritable, affect concentration and judgment and
even harm the marriage. But snorers have no
control over their noisemaking, doctors
emphasize.
Chronic
snorers become desperate for good sleep—and
their families equally desperate for some peace
and quiet. In a recent study at the Mayo
Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center, John Shepard,
Jr., M.D., found that bed partners of snorers
are awakened an average of 23 times a night. Is
that a serious problem? "Set your alarm an hour
earlier every morning for a week or so, and see
what you feel like," he answers.
Sleep is
vitally important for physical, emotional, and
mental well-being. That is why we spend about
30% of our lives sleeping, or trying to
sleep.
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