Here at Lake County Dental Care, sleep apnea is an important concern of ours. Sleep apnea is a condition that affects millions of Americans every year. It occurs when your air passage gets blocked in your sleep because the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much. Snoring is the most obvious sign of this condition. Snoring is in fact proving to be much more than an irritating and insomnia-inducing habit. Studies been showing snoring’s odd and, sometimes, serious effects on the body. In addition to snoring, numerous studies from across the globe have been finding very unusual health connections between very disparate parts of the body.
What’s going on?
Let’s start with the least severe effect. Researchers in Taiwan conducted a study with 6,000 control patients—non-snorers—and 1,000 snorers. The results showed that those with obstructive sleep apnea (slightly more clinical term for snoring) were 1.67 times more likely to develop glaucoma.
Why? It’s hypothesized that the vibrations from snoring put a lot of pressure on the eyeball, leading to loss of sight. Also, sleep apnea’s reduction in oxygen inhalation could also come into play, but that remains unconfirmed.
Now a Bit More Serious
It’s starting to seem like snoring may cause serious problems with your circulation. Researchers at the University of Detroit have found results that show frequent snorers are more likely to develop narrowed carotid arteries. Along with jugular veins, if they’re damaged, they’ll put your lights out real quick.
This kind of arterial trauma can lead to stroke and heart trouble. Scientists believe that it is the incessant, strong vibration of snoring that causes inflammation and then eventually the first stages of atherosclerosis. Of course, at this point, this is merely a theory. Experts say more research must be done to test this connection.
Moving Beyond Snoring
So snoring has been connected to ailments that you may have never guessed. Now we’re going to move beyond snoring and explore additional health connections, such as the sprained ankle-headache connection. For instance, even months or years after a sprained ankle heals, you may walk differently. Favoring the good ankle throws off your body’s alignment. As you walk differently, you tend to arch the back, elevate a shoulder, and tilt your head backwards. What then occurs is called cervicogenic headaches: the constant strain on the back, shoulders, and neck can irritate nerves that line the skull, triggering pain.
We move now from the ankle to the stomach. When you suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, you may not just suffer pain in the front of your body—but also the back. The inflammation can cause toxic substances to escape the gut lining and damage joints. The same stomach acid that causes acid reflux seems to plague the back as well. Once again, the connection isn’t fully understood.
Some More Serious Connections
If you’re too much of a night owl, you may run the risk of cancer. This is again another theory. When you don’t sleep, your body doesn’t produce melatonin, which may (key word in all these) inhibit tumor growth. A Japanese study found that chronically under sleeping women were 62% more likely to develop breast cancer!
As if you didn’t have enough trouble with arthritis, it could indicate a likelihood of developing heart disease. It’s just more icing on the cake. The proposed link is high levels of blood fat: fat obviously causes heart issues, but it may also breakdown bone cartilage, hence the arthritis. Remember, it’s a proposed, not proven link.
I’m sorry if we left you a bit more paranoid about your health. Just remember though, in all these studies, the word most often used is ‘may.’ So don’t go becoming a hypochondriac hermit walled up in a panic room. You’ll probably be fine.
Dr. Potts is a gentle, caring dentist who uses the most advanced materials and procedures available. He practices comfortable, health-centered dentistry, with a strong emphasis on getting to know each patient. In addition to his technical proficiency, Dr. Potts is a careful listener. He makes sure to understand what you want and will explain beforehand what treatment is best for your individual needs, along with all options available to you. Check out our Twitter, Facebook page, and website.
Leave a Reply