Misconceptions About Snoring You Need to Stop Believing
Snoring is not fun, especially when the person sleeping next to you is a loud snorer. Snoring occurs due to nasal passage congestion or a deviated septum. Most of us consider it a simple annoyance, but it can indicate any underlying health condition. Today, we have plenty of resources to identify these snoring-related health concerns.
Several misconceptions about snoring exist; you must stop believing these myths. Getting professional advice from expert ENT specialists in Dubai can help you distinguish between myth and fact. Dr Peter offers the best treatment to recover from sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, and sleep apnea.
Before you book an appointment, read the blog to learn more about the myths associated with snoring.
Myth #1 No difference between snoring and sleep apnea
More than 40% of adults snore, but only a few percent have obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea and snoring are correlated, but they’re not the same. Snoring is a common symptom associated with Obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring occurs due to nasal congestion or vibration of tissues in the mouth, nose, or throat. While sleeping, these muscles are relaxed, so air moving to the lungs prompts the tissues to vibrate.
Alternatively, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that interrupts breathing overnight. The condition occurs when the upper air passages are blocked, reducing oxygen levels. If a person experiences gasping, choking, or continuously waking up for breathing, it’s known as OSA or obstructive sleep apnea. Relax; not every person who snores has sleep apnea. So, the difference between snoring and sleep apnea is evident. If you have persistent sleep apnea, consult an ENT specialist.
Myth #2: Is snoring a sign of deep sleep?
Does snoring mean deep sleep? It’s a question and misconception among people who snore. In Television series or movies, people show that someone is snoring and they’re in deep sleep. But in real life, snoring occurs due to blockage in the air passage, which disrupts your deep sleep. So, people who snore undergo poor sleep and feel tired in the daytime. Alternatively, if you have sleep apnea, you constantly wake up to breathe. Therefore, OSA disturbs your sleep cycle and deep sleep.
Myth #3: Snoring is harmless
Snoring is common, but it’s not harmless. Snoring can indicate a severe health condition like Sleep Apnea, which links to various other health issues like hypertension, heart attack, heart failure, diabetes, stroke, or even certain cancers. Apart from the above, it disturbs your sleep cycle. What stage of sleep do you snore? There are four stages in a sleep cycle: very light sleep, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM or dreaming stage. Snoring affects the second stage, when the neck and mouth muscles relax. Snoring people spend little or no time in the deep sleep or REM stage. Disturbance in the sleep cycle affects your health and well-being.
Myth #4 Snoring is common among people with obesity
Does gaining weight make you snore? People with obesity are more likely to snore, but it doesn’t mean that younger people don’t snore. A few conditions, like a deviated septum, genetically floppy tissues, and enlarged tonsils, can disrupt the airflow while sleeping. These factors are not related to obesity or age. On the other hand, being overweight leads to fat deposits in your neck areas and blocks the upper airways, making it hard to breathe at night. However, even lean people have the same fat deposit, which results in sleep apnea. Changing your lifestyle and weight loss can help you reduce snoring, but it doesn’t cure it often.
Myth #5 Men snore more than women
Why do men snore more than women? While men have a higher chance of snoring and sleep apnea, it doesn’t mean that women are immune. As per the reports, 1 in every four women snore at least a few times per week. Menopause and pregnancy elevate snoring. For men and women, the body has to breathe regardless of gender. Men are eight times more likely to get diagnosed with sleep apnea, but that doesn’t mean women are safe from sleep disorders. Sleep apnea occurs when the airways are blocked, and people wake up to breathe. Men experience such total collapse and airway obstruction, whereas women have frequent yet partial obstruction.
Stop Snoring! Seek advice from the top ENT surgeon in Dubai.
While there are many myths surrounding snoring and sleep apnea, snoring and sleep apnea are easy to cure with expert ENT specialists. It’s a fact! While snoring is not connected to serious medical conditions, it requires proper attention.
Dr Peter Baptista can help you diagnose the difference between snoring and sleep apnea. He assures the most effective treatment for sleep disorders by utilizing both conventional therapies and advanced ENT surgeries.
Get the restful phases of sleep! Book an appointment online!
Dr Peter Baptista Jardin
European Board Certified ENT Doctor In Dubai
Dr. Peter Baptista Jardin is an ENT specialist with a special interest in treating sleep apnea. He is a revered expert in Spain for performing the first ever robotic transoral surgery in 2011, and the only series of hypoglossal nerve stimulation proved revolutionary for obstructive sleep apnea treatment worldwide. He currently serves as an ENT doctor in Dubai’s Al Zahra Hospital.
