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Snoring Is A Danger Signal

Sat, Feb 19, 2011
Here’s a lesson for everyone…

NEVER presume snoring is harmless.  In a study published in the Journal of Laryngology & Otology, 31 people who believed they were ’simple snorers’ underwent overnight polysomnograms (diagnostic sleep studies) to determine the real nature of their condition.  

The sleep studies found that only two were actually ’simple snorers’.

Of the remainder, two suffered from upper airway resistance syndrome, nine (29 per cent) suffered from mild obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), seven (22.6 per cent) suffered from moderate OSA, and 11 (35.5 per cent) suffered from severe OSA.

Given that it is virtually impossible to determine whether OSA exists without conducting a sleep study, and given the serious consquences of OSA, the study clearly demonstrates why snoring must not be ignored. 

Any form of sleep disordered breathing is serious — and snoring is a ‘red flag’ which calls for further attention.  If you snore, or know someone who does, at least arrange a diagnostic sleep study so that, at the very least, you can rule out the possibility of a more serious condition. 

The results of the study also highlight why sleep studies must form part of the assessment and treatment pathway even for supposed ’simple snoring’.   As the old saying goes, “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice.”  Organisations which offer ‘treatments’ for snoring without first doing a study are in breach of numerous practice parameters and ethical standards. 

For more information on the causes, effects and treatments for snoring and apnoea, visit The Sleep Therapy Clinic website at http://www.SleepTherapyClinic.com