SNORING- why your life could be in danger!
Snoring is caused by abnormal constriction of the upper airway thus a reduction in airflow when breathing in. Risk factors of snoring include male gender, increased body weight, alcohol consumption and certain diseases of the upper airway that reduce its calibre. In children, enlargement of the adenoids and tonsils is the most common cause.
Whereas snoring may be a habitual event during sleep, it might also be the first sign of a serious medical condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). All patients with OSAS do snore but not all snorers have OSAS. Night time symptoms of OSAS include witnessed episodes of breathing pauses during sleep, gasping or choking during sleep and restless sleep. Daytime symptoms include excessive sleepiness, early morning headaches, poor attention, difficulty concentrating, bad tempers and high blood pressure among others.
Patients with OSAS have been showed to have high predispositions to strokes, heart attacks, diabetes mellitus and loss of libido. They are also highly likely to cause road traffic accidents due to loss of concentration, impaired judgement and actual falling asleep while driving.
Fortunately at the Nairobi ENT Clinic & the Sleep Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, we have the relevant health professionals and state of the art technology for making diagnosis and treating OSAS and other sleep disorders.