Dangers of Loud Snoring in Diabetes

Men are especially guilty of ignoring protests about their snoring from bedroom partners, though obese and older women, or those with receding jaws, may suffer from this condition as well.

Snoring is not a minor matter as far as medicine is concerned, especially for patients with diabetes. It is not just a matter of disturbing the sleep of the person who shares your bed. Loud snoring could mean that you do not have a restful sleep at night, which results in your feeling low, irritable, and drowsy during the day. Worse, blockage of your airways could reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood, and damage your heart as well.

Losing weight is the best way to correct a snoring habit. Excess fat tends to line the airway passage. Some people have anatomic peculiarities, particularly with respect to the shapes of their jaws, and this can cause snoring to disturb the peace at night.

A physician can prescribe aids to keep the airways free and open at night, though surgery to correct parts of the mouth may also be required. It is important to tell your physician about your snoring habit, and to have it checked out. Diabetes puts your heart at risk in any case, and you do not want snoring to add to the problem.

What if you sleep alone? You can suspect that perhaps your airways are blocked if you do not feel fully rested on awakening from sleep in the morning. Your physician can order special tests in a sleep laboratory to check on any doubts you may have.