In my experience men are the first to run to a doctor if their back is sore, if they get a strong headache or whenever they pick up a cold.

I’m not suggesting that anyone should ignore severe or unexpected pain but you must agree that men are, on the whole, liable to translate slight pain, sinus stuffiness or a sore throat as a traumatic event. So why not snoring?

I’ve said before that snoring can be a sign of a serious health problem, that upwards of 20,000 men are hospitalised in Australia each year for illnesses, including life threatening illnesses, which were characterised by snoring. I repeat, Snoring is No Joke

Let’s be real. We are getting older, our men are getting older too. And snoring sometimes can be the only sign of a more serious problem.

Snoring may not always be a serious health problem but, by golly, it’s a significant social problem for the snorer and means sleep problems for the bed partner. Snoring disrupts the sleep of spouses and family members more than it affects the snorer. How often do you hear of partners of snorers leaving the bedroom (or making the snorer leave the bedroom) many nights per week?

It’s vital to find out if snoring is related to an underlying medical condition.

One Example : Obstructive Sleep Apnea

For example, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and strokes.

This is a serious disorder with potential for serious, and even fatal complications. Persons with sleep apnea actually stop breathing for brief periods of time (usually 10-20 seconds) while asleep. The pauses in breathing can be very frequent and occur 30 times or more per hour.

You will soon enough notice if your partner has sleep apnea. When you sleep or, more truthfully, lie awake not sleeping, you can hear not just loud snoring, but snorting or choking sounds and gasping. The sudden decreases in oxygen levels resulting from sleep apnea place a burden on the cardiovascular system, making it work harder to deliver enough oxygen. This strain causes the development of high blood pressure in approximately half of those suffering from sleep apnea, increasing the risks of stroke and heart failure.

Does he have obstructive sleep apnea? Do yourself a favour, and your old man too. Get him to the doctor!

Apart from disrupting the household and pushing relationships to the limit, snoring can indicate a serious health condition. Untreated, persistent snoring caused by obstructive sleep apnea raises the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart failure.

In Australia, close on 20,000 men are hospitalised each year for snoring.

Why do they snore?
Snoring is vibrations – parts of the nose and throat vibrating as air is breathed. At night, the muscles that help keep airways open, relax and become floppy, causing the airways to narrow and vibrate more.

Factors which lead to snoring, include

• 1. * Tonsils & Adenoids. Having enlarged tonsils or adenoids.

• 2. * Being overweight – this puts pressure on the airways.

• 3. * Alcohol and Drugs. They act as a sedative on the throat muscles.

• 4. * Smoking – because the airways are constantly inflamed from the smoke.

• 5. Colds, allergies, nasal polyps, a damaged or crooked nose.

• 6. Sleep apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs more often in older adults and is twice as common in men as in women. In this serious condition, throat tissues obstruct the airway, preventing the sleeper from breathing.

Sleep apnea is characterised by loud snoring followed by silence that can last 10 seconds or more. Eventually, the lack of oxygen makes the sleeper wake up, forcing the airway open with a loud snort or gasping sound. This pattern repeats during the night.

Sleep apnoea mainly affects men who smoke, are overweight and middle-aged.

If you snore, or your partner snores, please seek medical advice as soon as possible.