Currently, at least 25 million people in the US have sleep apnea. It sounds like a lot, but when I first heard these statistics, I wasn’t surprised. In the dental office, we see sleep apnea symptoms all the time.
In society, we tend to tease, laugh at, or scald snorers for keeping us awake. If your partner snores, you should be concerned for their health (as well as your sleep). It’s important to find what causes snoring in the first place.
Many people don’t know that our teeth can pick up the reasons for snoring.
Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea symptoms (OSA) link to severe disease. Studies show that sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, heart, and brain disease.
In sleep apnea, airway collapse is one of the main causes of snoring. The result is a complete pause in breathing. A person can awaken hundreds of times a night gasping for air. The body releases stress hormones in response to a lack of oxygen. Over time, they will cause high blood pressure and contribute to heart problems.
Most people have heard of sleep apnea before. We often identify those at risk as overweight, older males.
One known cause of snoring is being overweight. Obesity and high neck width can contribute to airway blockage at night. But some people with sleep apnea symptoms are also slender.
You may think a middle-aged, over-weight man that snores as normal. It’s simply not the case. The causes for snoring show that sleep apnea symptoms can give vital clues to heart health.
Sleep apnea symptoms and heart disease
More than one in three men have heart disease. Research now describes the way snoring leads to cardiovascular disease. When I see dental signs of sleep disorders and snoring, my mind always goes straight to heart attacks.
Obstructive sleep apnea can cause hormonal imbalances that lead to cardiac dysfunction. When your breathing stops, oxygen levels immediately drop. The body responds by releasing stress hormones. Over time, if these stress hormones remain high the body loses its ability to manage blood pressure response.
All of this is happening when your body should be in deep rest. Sleep should prevent the release of stress hormones. Instead, the brain is forced into ‘survival’ mode and if not addressed, can lead to heart failure.
Let’s look at how.
Snoring and heart arrhythmias
The causes of snoring and sleep apnea increase your risk of heart arrhythmias. Lack of oxygen can damage the part of the brain called the ventrolateral media (VLM). The VLM controls heart rate response.
A damaged VLM will decrease the body’s ability to monitor heart rate and blood pressure changes. Studies show that one-sided VLM injury leads to blood pressure challenge and arrhythmias.
Snoring and blood pressure response
Sleep apnea can also damage other areas of the brain that manage blood pressure. Snoring can cause damage to the right insular cortex (RLC). It’s the part of the brain that controls autonomic nerve and blood pressure reflex. A damaged RLC, may lead to the body being unable to regulate blood pressure.
Stress hormones caused by snoring may also damage the cerebellum. It may further lead to high blood pressure. But severe damage explains the decrease in coordination and balance seen in obstructive sleep apnea.
Central sleep apnea and heart failure
A different form of sleep apnea, called central sleep apnea (or CSA), is also found in heart failure. Heart failure may result in excess fluid entering the lungs. At night it can cause disruption of sleep due to the feeling of being short of breath.
Central sleep apnea appears to occur due to unstable breathing. It may be a consequence, rather than a cause of heart disease.
Older men and those with atrial fibrillation are at risk for central sleep apnea.
Protect your heart and find what the causes snoring
Snoring at night is not normal. Oxygen deprivation due to snoring can increase your risk of heart disease.
Sleep apnea symptoms can be detected with regular dental check-ups, or GP visits.
Ask your dentist if they work with a sleep physician to test for the causes of snoring.
Don’t forget the mouth-body connection means great teeth — keep heart health in top shape too!
Do you know someone who sufferers from snoring or sleep apnea? Leave your comments below.
For more information on Dr. Lin’s clinical protocol that highlights the steps parents can take to prevent dental problems in their children: Click here.
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8 Responses
I’ve had emphysema for four years. I was taking Spiriva and Advair. I started with oxygen at night, and later all day long. Nothing seems to help. The minute I start to walk around the breathing gets bad. Even the oxygen doesn’t seem to help.I smoked for approximately four years, from age 18 to age 22. I am now age 66 plus. I had for some time now noticed having difficulty catching a deep breath. Never in my wildest dreams did it cross my mind that I may develop a serious lung disease, but here I was with a serious case of COPD. I am only writing this to inform others that nothing was really working to help my condition.I went off the Spiriva (with the doctor’s knowledge) and started on Emphysema herbal formula i ordered from Health Herbal Clinic, my symptoms totally declined over a 5 weeks use of the Emphysema disease natural herbal formula. i am now almost 68 and doing very well, my lungs are totally repaired!! Visit there website www. healthherbalclinic. net or email Info@ healthherbalclinic. net
What is the best device for snoring?
Hi Mena,
It really depends on finding out why you snore. Some people don’t do well with mandibular advancement splints for example.
An airway focused dentist can diagnose and also refer to an ENT for assessment. It may be a postural, breathing and sleep adjustment on top of a device.
Check for symptoms of upper airway resistance syndrome.
https://www.drstevenlin.com/upper-airway-resistance-syndrome-part-teeth-grinding-choking-sleep/
Dr Steven Lin
So in other words, sleep apnea is even worse than we originally thought. Worst of all, it increases the risk of heart disease in people who are already at risk for it (overweight/obese people).
If this doesn’t convince people who are overweight with sleep apnea to make some sort of lifestyle change, I don’t know what will…
My wife hates that I snore and is constantly telling me that I need to get it checked. I never thought it was that big of a deal, but I figured that it has anything to do with my health, it would be worth it. After reading this and realizing that my sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, and heart disease, I’m going to get this further looked at and treated. Thank you so much for sharing this, it may have saved my life.
I never realized that snoring could increase your risk of heart disease. My wife says I snore a lot at night, so I wonder if I should look into this more. I don’t want to risk having sleep apnea go unchecked, so I’ll be sure to visit a professional soon.
It’s good to know more about sleep apnea. I had no idea that sleep apnea can actually create heart issues like cardiac dysfunction. My brother has it, so I’ll have to suggest that he try and remedy that.
Is sleep apnea the main problem with snoring and so if you snore but don’t have sleep apnea it is not as big of a deal?