Still think snoring is a joke?

Snoring has always been considered a joke. "Two snorers walk into a bar...." You can finish the rest of the story, I'm sure.

Television advertising promotes the ability to stop snoring by sticking things on the outside of your nose, sticking things in the inside of your nose, spraying stuff in your throat, and by taking a boil and bite mouth device to pull your jaw forward (by the way, it's illegal in the United States to sell these over the counter). And, in fact, most of these WILL stop the snoring but do you really want to?

Huh? you say - of course I want to stop the snoring, why shouldn't I? As it turns out there is a good reason not to do it yourself. A scientific article released in the Sept. 1 issue of the prestigious journal Sleep shows that snoring is indeed an independent risk factor for the development of hardening of the arteries in neck - known as carotid atherosclerosis - that can progress to a point where it is associated with a stroke.

We know that snoring can also be a warning sign of sleep apnea as well especially if one's bed partner notices cessation of breathing at intervals during sleep. Stopping the snoring eliminates the warning sign and creates what is know as a silent apneic. Sleep apnea is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, excessive daytime sleepiness, erectile dysfunction and even death during sleep from factors related to apnea.

So for a couple of reasons, stopping the snoring without medical or dental intervention can be a bad idea. It's your decision of course but before you decide, stop and take a few moments to think of the possible consequences - the point is not to just stop the sound of snoring, the point is to eliminate the obstruction that causes the snoring and to increase oxygen flow through the partially obstructed airway.

Dr. Barsh
Snoring Isn't Sexy