Section 2: Snoring Secrets

Again, one of the very strange challenges that the entire topic of snoring faces, is that, well, most people don’t think it’s all that big of a problem.  The word itself – snoring – is rather harmless sounding, really; and it’s nowhere as terrifying as some angry medical words such as tumor or cirrhosis.

As a result, many people are quite skeptical when told that snoring is a severe physical and emotional health problem.  If you might find yourself among these skeptics, or if you’re just unsure of just how serious this problem is, then this section is for you.

It only takes a minute, or a cursory glance, at the list of physical problems associated with snoring to quickly embrace this funny-sounding noun/verb into the class of serious health problems.

Here is just an opening list of the health problems associated with snoring (and remember, please, that we’re just looking at physical problems right now; emotional problems come later!).

• sleep apnea (described below)

• heart disease

• stroke

• headaches throughout the day (due to poor quality sleep and poor airflow through trachea)

• night sweats

• heartburn

• swollen legs and arms (due to lack of oxygen flow)

• an overall weakened immune system

• Hearing loss (if snoring is very loud; remember, snoring can be as loud as a passing jet!)

• And more…

In addition, most of us assume that snoring is associated with adulthood; and, as such, that the physical ailments noted above are limited to adults.  This is not the case at all, since many children and adolescents snore (particularly those with related airflow inhibiting conditions, such as asthma).

Of all the snoring-related physical ailments noted above, arguably the most severe – and ironically least understood – is a condition called Sleep Apnea.  These two words should be emblazoned in the minds of every snorer, and anyone who lives with or cares about the safety and well-being of a snorer.

The word apnea in the term Sleep Apnea derives from the Greek term for absence of breathing.  That, in a nutshell, gives a sense of how dangerous Sleep Apnea can be; it literally refers to a condition where breathing stops during sleep.

Sleep Apnea and snoring are directly linked because during snoring the airway of the trachea is constantly subjected to repetitive collapse and obstruction; in fact, it is that collapse and obstruction that leads to the vibration that, ultimately, manifests itself as audible snoring.  Sleep Apnea thus occurs when, due to that continuous collapse of the airway, breathing actually stops.

While death is obviously possible due to this obstruction of the airway (and subsequent lack of breathing), there are many very serious effects that, while not fatal, are most certainly severe.

Even when it is not fatal, snoring deprives the body of essential oxygen; and hence, overall blood oxygen levels are reduced and concurrently, carbon dioxide levels rise.  This can lead to toxic buildup that can cause heart disease, stroke, and brain damage.

Readers who themselves aren’t snorers, but have lived with (or currently live with) a first class snorer, might find themselves shedding a tear or two as they read this section.  That’s because often overlooked in the whole snoring discussion are those people who don’t snore.

These are the husbands, the wives, the kids, the nanny’s, the siblings, the in-laws, and even the neighbors who have found themselves on the receiving end of a chain saw, or a lawn mower, that tended to start at around 10:00pm, and continued – unabated! – Until about 7:00am the following morning.

For such people, trying to fall and stay asleep was not merely an exercise in stress coping; it was an exercise in crisis management!

It’s not at all overly dramatic to suggest that the emotional costs of snoring are as severe, or possibly even more severe, as snoring’s physical toll.  This is because snoring can lead a disturbing array of emotional problems, including:

• lack of sleep, leading to depression and anxiety
  
  
• Marital breakdown and divorce, due to lack of sleep and lack of empathy (remember, the snoring partner doesn’t often know the pain that they are unwittingly causing!)
  
  
• Eviction by a landlord and the resulting humiliation (this may sound funny, but some people have literally been kicked out of their homes because of their snoring!)
  
  
• warring roommates and neighbors
  
  
• job loss, due to inability to concentrate and focus (because of sleeplessness)
  
  
• memory and retention problems due to sleeplessness

And within these problems (and this just a simple list, an entire book can be filled to document the real life emotional damage caused by snoring) are a host of painful mental states that infect both the guilty-snorer, and the enraged non-snorer. 

These unproductive emotional states include:

• frustration

• anger

• feelings of violence

• helplessness

• desperation

• anguish

• exhaustion

• growing resentment 

• lack of confidence and self-esteem

And let’s not forget the millions of non-snorers who drive cars or operate heavy machinery; without a solid night of sleep, some of them can (and regrettably do) put both themselves and others at risk.

Indeed, the emotional problems associated with snoring are, unfortunately, less discussed; especially since the snorer himself or herself isn’t aware that he/she is causing so much unintentional emotional damage!  Yet, as you can easily see (perhaps even in reflecting upon your own life), the emotional costs can be severe and incalculable

Ultimately, the point here is not to try and see whether the physical problems associated with snoring are more important, or more devastating, than the emotional problems.  Different people are going to experience different aspects of both levels; and some, unfortunately, are going to experience the worst of both.

Quite simply, it’s enough for us to conclude without question that snoring is one of the most serious health problems in the world; and the notion that it is merely a nighttime inconvenience, or something that can’t lead to anything severe or lasting, is just plain incorrect.

Snoring is a real problem, and hundreds of millions of people around the world – both snorers and non-snorers – would readily agree.

It is in this light – that snoring is such a massive global problem – that the quest for a solution has been nothing short of monumental.  Virtually every corner of the health care world claims to offer something to mitigate or eliminate snoring; from acupuncture to invasive surgery.

On the one hand, this focus on solving snoring is quite welcome; it signifies that qualified medical people (i.e. the educated folks in lab coats who are paid to solve health problems) are very interested in finding some answers, and very willing to commit their large brains to this important task.

Yet on the other hand, this focus on solving snoring is, ironically, beset with additional problems.  Quite simply, there is a lack of quality information with respect to what solutions work, and what solutions quite frankly don’t work.

Though it’s always more fun to focus on the positives – and that’s certainly what we’ll do in this book – it’s necessary for us to first take a look at something a bit negative: surgery; or more specifically: why surgery isn’t often the way to go if you want to end snoring once and for all.  We take a look at this in Section 3, below.

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