I am an office worker who occasionally smokes and drinks alcohol. My snoring is very loud and affects everyone. Is it true that the louder the snoring, the more dangerous it is? (Van Tuan, 38 years old)
Reply:
Snoring is a noise produced in the throat during sleep, the result of vibration of the air flow of the soft tissues in the throat, especially the soft palate. Snoring is more common in men than women, and tends to increase with age and weight.
Snoring can range from very soft, barely audible to very loud, annoying enough to disturb those around you.
Depending on the individual, snoring can range from mild, around 40-50 decibels, to severe, over 60 decibels. The 2009 Guinness World Record recorded the loudest snore at around 111.6 decibels.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), snoring above 40 decibels is a form of noise pollution. Snoring has a volume above 53 decibels, equivalent to the noise of a hair dryer in operation.
Long-term snoring not only seriously affects the health and spirit of the patient and family members, but can also cause conflicts and cracks in relationships with bed partners.
Risk factors for snoring include being male, being older, being obese, drinking alcohol, having a stuffy nose, nasal obstruction, and having a small or receding jaw. Abnormal structures such as enlarged tonsils, a deviated septum, nasal polyps, a large tongue, an enlarged soft palate, a narrow throat, genetics, or sleeping position can also increase the risk of snoring.
Snoring can be benign but also carries many potential health risks, depending on the cause, severity and frequency.
Mild snoring is infrequent snoring, less than three times per week, primarily affecting only roommates and usually does not require medical treatment.
Primary snoring occurs more than three nights a week and is very annoying to your bed partner. However, it is usually not a cause for concern unless there are signs of sleep disruption or sleep apnea. In that case, the patient may need to undergo some paraclinical tests such as endoscopy, polysomnography, and polysomnography to diagnose the cause.
Snoring associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often severe and life-threatening due to episodes of reduced breathing and pauses in breathing during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea also causes severe daytime sleepiness and increases the risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.
You should go to a medical facility for examination when snoring occurs three or more times a week, snoring loudly causing discomfort with gasping, choking or snorting sounds, uncontrolled weight gain, daytime sleepiness, decreased concentration; headache; high blood pressure.
MSc.BSCKII Tran Thi Thuy Hang
Head of ENT Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City
| Readers ask questions about ear, nose and throat diseases here for doctors to answer |
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