Snoring is dangerous. For example, heavy snoring can cause a quick stoppage of breathing that can easily endanger one’s life. Habitual snoring can lead to some serious health and relationship problems. There really is nothing good about the repercussions of snoring.
There is another repercussion of snoring that we hardly hear of. Apparently, snoring causes injuries that can damage the body.
The recurrent vibrations caused by snoring can lead to injuries in the upper airways of people who snore heavily. This in turn, can cause swallowing dysfunction and render individuals more vulnerable for developing the severe condition obstructive sleep apnea.
(Via: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uu-sci043019.php)
Who would have thought that the vibrations caused by snoring can actually be damaging enough to cause some swallowing dysfunction? According to research, it can be.
These findings are reported by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden. Their on-going research focuses on the processes behind vibratory damage and healing of the upper airway tract. The data generated will help identify people at high risk of developing sleep apnea and to find novel treatment strategies.
(Via: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uu-sci043019.php)
Clearly, the health risks of snoring are mounting. Hopefully, this particular research could help heal the damage brought about by snoring.
“Besides the disturbing effects, constant snoring can be a significant health risk. Nonetheless, there are indications that our research will guide towards early preventive measures and in the long term also enhance healing of damaged tissue caused by snoring,” says Associate Professor Per Stål, research leader at the Department of Integrative Medical Biology at Umeå University.
(Via: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uu-sci043019.php)
The findings of the research are not just interesting but alarming as well. According to the findings, patients who snore and suffer from sleep apnea show neuromuscular injuries in their upper respiratory tract. Both snoring and sleep apnea can also damage the nerves and muscles in the soft palate.
Researchers in Umeå have shown that snorers and sleep apnea patients have neuromuscular injuries in the upper respiratory tract. The injuries can be seen at both the structural and molecular level. Researchers could also observe a correlation between snoring and swallowing dysfunction as well as a relation between nerve damage and obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated collapse of the upper respiratory tract leading to respiratory arrest during sleep, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The studies show that people who constantly snore heavily and have sleep apnea displayed a loss of nerves and muscle mass in the soft palate. Furthermore, the attempts by the body to heal damaged tissue were disturbed resulting in an abnormal muscle structure. Another interesting finding was that muscle fibres in the soft palate lacked or had a disturbed organization of certain structural proteins. These proteins stabilize the organelles of the muscle cell and support cellular structures related to energy production and muscle fibre contraction.
(Via: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uu-sci043019.php)
The most promising part of the research shows that the body tries to heal the damage caused by the injuries of snoring
The researchers also found that a neurotransmitter that is normally associated with healing and regeneration of neurons was present in the muscle cells. This finding suggests that the body is trying to heal the injuries, but the recurrent snoring vibrations prevent proper healing. It becomes a vicious circle where snoring causes damage and at the same time disturb healing of injuries, which can lead to swallowing dysfunction and sleep apnea.
(Via: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uu-sci043019.php)
It’s safe to say that it’s possible to heal and to prevent the damage caused by the injuries of snoring. As long as the snoring stops, the damage is healed and, in some cases, prevented.
The good news is that there are ways to stop snoring. One way to stop it is by wearing a snoring mouthpiece while sleeping.
The Sleeptight Snoring Mouthpiece is designed to keep your airway open so that you won’t have a hard time breathing. It also lessens and eventually stops the snoring that could damage your soft palate.
It’s really important to stop snoring. Visit https://snoringmouthpiecereview.org/sleeptight to learn more about it.
