Snoring

You may be able to turn a deaf  ear to sun sneezing, but snoring is hard to ignore. Perhaps you cannot get a good night's sleep because your partner sounds like he is orchestrating a symphony through his nose. Or your own nasal nocturnes drive your bedmate crazy and to the living room, or analyst's couch, or even a marriage counselor.

For some, snoring can be a very annoying telltale sign of drinking too much, especially at bedtime. Although a bottle can be hidden from one's partner, it is harder to cover up those annoying nose noises, medically known as STERTOR. Snoring can also be a warning sign of overeating. Indeed, being overweight and snoring often go hand in hand.

But snoring can be more than a noisy nuisance or caused by a behavior that you can change; it can signal a number of medical conditions, some more serious than others. Snoring may simply be a sign of nasal congestion from a cold or allergy, or it may signal a nasal blockage from a deviated nasal septum (the structure that divides the internal nose in half) or from unusually large Turbinates (the bony nasal structures covered by mucous membranes, which help warm and cleanse air). Snoring may point to enlarged tonsils or adenoids, a large tongue, or a long uvula (that dangly thing in the back of your throat). It might also signal that either a noncancerous or cancerous growth is blocking airflow through your nose.

Snoring can be your body's way of sounding an alarm that you have a  potentially serious condition called Sleep Apnea. In sleep apnea, a person may stop breathing or the breathing can become extremely shallow. These breathing cessations can happen score of time every hour, causing the person's oxygen level to drop dramatically, which the body interprets as a medical emergency. The heart then beats faster and the blood pressure rises steeply. To make matters worse, fluctuation in oxygen levels can cause inflammation and clog the arteries. These also put a person at risk for heart attack and stroke.

Sleep apnea sometimes runs in families, and it is more common in men than women. African Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Mexican Americans are at increased risk. Interestingly, Mexican Americans are at greater risk than other Hispanics. Being overweight, and particularly having fat aroung the neck, puts a person at increased risk of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea leads to more than a poor night's sleep. People with sleep apnea are 2 to 7 times more likely to get into a car accident. And men with sleep apnea may find that their sexual performance can take a nosedive.

Almost half off normal adults occasionally snore, and 25% are habitual snorers. Men snore more than women.

If you are a snorer and are scheduled to undergo surgery, be sure to mention it to your surgeon and anesthesiologist. Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea. Anesthesia can be risky for patients with this condition, and special precautions should be taken.