Health Tips

If incessant snoring constantly quashes your dreams of silent nights, there are a few facts that you need to know.

Snoring affects people of all ages, all over the world. There are an estimated 40 million snorers in the United States alone. In the United Kingdom the figure is around 15 million, with the total climbing to over 15 million in Germany. Across the world, snoring caused by nasal airway blockages afflicts more than a billion people.

Research has provided clear insight into the many problems of snoring. An estimated twenty percent of men in their early thirties snore, compared to nearly five percent of women in the same age bracket. By the time they reach their sixties, these numbers climb significantly, to sixty percent of men and forty percent of women.

It’s believed that the percentage of men who snore is higher, simply because men tend to have larger necks. A neck size of at least seventeen inches almost guarantees a snoring condition.

Men also tend to be overweight more often than women, increasing the likeliness of snoring. Most men, about eighty percent, don’t consider the snoring to be a problem; they simply complain that their wives are light sleepers.

Woman who snore are usually shorter and heavier that their female non-snoring counterparts. Men who snore tend to do so through their mouths and noses, although women usually snore only through the nose.

The reasons women are less likely than men to snore, is simply because they tend to have smaller necks, larger air passages and a smaller uvula. When the problem surfaces, however, women are more likely than men to find a treatment for the snoring problem.

Young children who snore often do so because of tonsil or adenoid problems. Studies show that as many as six percent of young children snore.

Some healthcare professionals are concerned that snoring, along with its causes and outcomes, is not taken seriously enough in the medical arena. During routine physicals, doctors rarely inquire about the patients’ sleeping habits.

Studies suggest that while seventy percent of sufferers mention their sleep problems to their doctors, only ten percent try to follow up by applying treatment methods. Similarly, dentists, who design and fit the mouth appliances worn to prevent snoring, almost never inquire about sleeping difficulties with their patients.

The medical field and general public needs to be provided with more education on snoring and related sleep disorders. Sleep apnea, a medical condition that can cause potentially dangerous health problems, is hazardous to both the person suffering from it, and those who come in contact with them.

According to recent research, there are more motor vehicle accidents caused by those with sleep disorders than those caused by drunk drivers. Studies have shown that seventy four percent of people with sleep apnea have had at least one car accident.

More than eighty percent of snorers are not even aware that they’re snoring, unless the problem is pointed out to them. They blissfully sleep, while others struggle to rest against the ongoing racket. If someone in your home snores, or tells you that you’ve been snoring, it’s worth mentioning to your doctor. Remember, snoring can be the first indicator of sleep disorders.