Obesity a main cause of snoring, cites doctors from Government Stanley Medical College Hospital
Citing over 700 cases treated at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in the last five years, doctors said that obesity is the main cause of snoring.
Published: 25th February 2023 07:28 AM | Last Updated: 25th February 2023 07:28 AM | A+A A-
For representational purposes
CHENNAI: Citing over 700 cases treated at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in the last five years, doctors said that obesity is the main cause of snoring. In two-thirds of these obese cases, around 50 % had obstructive sleep apnea, a serious disorder that can even cause death in rare cases, which have snoring as a symptom, said doctors.
Dr Mohan Kameshwaran, Chief Surgeon and Director, of Madras ENT Research Foundation (MERF) said, in patients with apnea, breathing stops temporarily and as a result, the oxygen level in the blood starts dropping, affecting the heart and brain. So it is important to address snoring as it affects both quality and longevity of life.”
When the oxygen supply to the brain is stopped, it wakes up the person from a deep sleep and pushes into superficial sleep, thus pausing snoring for a short time. This causes an increase in blood pressure, brings down heart function and also affects brain functions like memory, alertness, and judgement-making, he further explained.
Dr S Muthuchitra, head of the department, ENT, Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital (KMCH) said, “Due to the lack of quality sleep,a person with sleep apnea might fall asleep during daytime, making it dangerous for them to even drive a vehicle.”
Dr M Gowri Shankar, Head of the ENT Department, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital said that in children one of the main causes of snoring is tonsils and adenoids. “Anyone, irrespective of age and gender, can be affected by snoring. Around 90% of snoring cases in adults can be corrected through a change in diet, weight reduction, exercise, and a change in sleeping position.
Surgery is only needed in rare cases. Children with tonsils, adenoids, polyps and facial abnormalities will need surgery to cure mostly. Many would say the person died in sleep and think it might be because of cardiac arrest where sleep apnea is the actual reason as the disease is rarely diagnosed, she added.
