I was telling my sister-in-law that I need to find a way to silence my husband’s snoring so I could finally get some sleep. She told me that she read an article that said snoring can lead to heart failure. Is that true?

Paula

Dear Paula,

Yes and no. Snoring itself isn’t a problem (except to those around him trying to get some sleep). However, the problem can lie in why he is snoring. Do you happen to notice if he sometimes seems to stop snoring and then suddenly there is a big snort and off his goes again? If so, there is a very good chance your husband has sleep apnea. This will be a health issue. Sleep apnea increases the risks for heart problems, stroke, high blood pressure, and a myriad of other problems.

The main reason for this is your husband’s oxygen is being cut of over and over again throughout the night putting stress on his body. When your husband is lying down, the muscles in the back of his throat are closing up his air passageway. The rattling sound is from when it is partially blocked.

I am going to recommend you get your husband a sleep study to see what is really going on there. Then, if he does have sleep apnea, there are simple fixes. You are no longer relegated to those massive CPAPs that make him sound like Darth Vader while he sleeps. Now there are simple orthotics that have been proven to be highly effective. A dentist can provide one of these for you.

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