It’s the middle of the night—or maybe the middle of the day—and all seems well. Then, you hear it: a low, rumbling, animalistic sound. It could be a snort or a growl or even a snarl. But it’s not an animal at all. It’s a person who is snoring far too loudly for your liking, and the sound only seems to be getting worse.
It’s safe to say we all know someone who snores - or we may even do it ourselves. A Huffington Post article puts a spotlight on snoring and features Stanford's Rafael Pelayo, MD, who explains why it occurs, why it becomes increasingly worse with age, and, most importantly, why it could signal a potentially serious health problem.
"Think of fire and a fire alarm," Pelayo says. "The snoring is the alarm. If there's a fire and the fire alarm goes off and I disconnect the alarm, it doesn't mean I put out the fire. The fire could still be burning."
Snoring could be a symptom of sleep apnea, a disorder in which a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Apnea is a legitimate medical issue that can be harmful if gone unchecked, and Pelayo encourages anyone who snores to get tested for it.
Alex Giacomini is an English literature major at UC Berkeley and a writing and social media intern in the medical school’s Office of Communication and Public Affairs.
Previously: New recommendation: Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night, Why untreated sleep apnea may cause more harm to your health than feeling fatigued and How insufficient sleep can lead to weight gain
Photo by Marc Lewis
