Can Snoring or Sleep Apnea be fatal for life?

Yes, it can be. A healthy sleep is very important for a person’s health but when sleep is disturbed it can lead to various disorders and even can be fatal for life.

Snoring?
Snoring a very common problem, and most common sleep disorder, each and every one is acquainting to these days, either a person himself is suffering from snoring or has someone related to him/her having habit of snoring. However, it is just not a habit; it is much more than that. Almost 40% of population is suffering from snoring. Snoring is a loud sound produced during sleep by the vibration of respiratory structures when the airways get obstructed with irregular flow of air which results in OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA which can be fatal for life.

Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea is a most common and serious sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly. Sleep apnea is suspected if a patient is snoring, having daytime sleepiness and/or feeling tired after 6-8 hours of sleep. It has been observed that lack of sleep or obstruction of upper airway can cause damage to arteries and lead to heart and brain problems. People who are not getting enough sleep are at risk as they are sleeping less, snoring more, tossing and turning eyeing the clock are literally ageing before time. Amongst all sleep disorders Obstructive Sleep Apnea is the commonest one comprising to about 80 – 85%.

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
The muscles of upper airway are responsible for opening and closing of the airway during sleep. When these muscles relax too much during sleep causing unusual sounds and snoring. Many times these muscles relax too much causing collapse of the upper airway resulting in obstruction of upper airway and subsequently there is stoppage of breathing, which is experienced as ‘Obstructive Apnea’. It may happen frequently even several hundred times at night.
If you have this condition, every time an apnea occurs, you struggle to breathe, placing stress on your brain and heart. Night after night, your sleep is disrupted. You experience the kind of tiredness that affects the quality of your work, life, and relationships.