Careful! Snoring may be more dangerous than thought

You might think it's just an annoying side effect of sleep, but in fact, snoring can be more dangerous than you might imagine.

This is because snoring is a key sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which is a serious sleep disorder where you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more at a time.

Moreover, it increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other health problems. This makes some cases of snoring life-threatening.

What Snoring Really Is – Snoring occurs when air cannot flow easily through the mouth or nose. When this happens, air is forced through an obstructed area, which causes the soft tissues in the mouth, nose, and throat to rub against each other and vibrate. The vibration creates the sound of snoring.

How common is snoring – Snoring is very common and everyone does it at some point in their life. However, it is more common in men over 50 who are overweight or obese.

Sleeping Position – Sleeping on your back can make you snore. Using a pillow that is too soft or too big can also provoke snoring.

Heart disease – Sleep apnea is linked to cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, which ultimately lead to possible heart attacks.

Headaches – Do you often wake up with a headache? Sleep apnea and snoring can be a reason. Research has shown that people who snore usually suffer from morning headaches and sleep disorders, including insomnia.

Surgical treatments – In some cases, snoring is treated with surgery to shrink or remove excess tissue or to correct a structural problem. Many of these procedures are minimally invasive.

Lifestyle changes – Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol before bed, changing your sleeping position and maintaining a healthy weight, can reduce snoring.