Forty percent of snoring patients are women
4/5/2013 10:30:00 AM
Philippa Lees
We can’t point our finger at old, obese men as the only snoring culprits —these days up to 40 percent of patients being treated for snoring are women.
A UK study found the number of women seeking treatment was rising, with drinking, smoking and obesity worsening the problem.
Dr Sean Tolhurst, a respiratory and sleep physician said weight gain is to blame, plus snoring often worsens around menopause.
“Weight gain in the peri- and post-menopausal women is different to weight gain in their pre-menopausal period,” he said.
“Post-menopausal women gain weight in a much more male pattern because they don’t have the effect of oestrogen. Most of the weight gain that has an impact on sleep apnoea is on the chest and the back of the airway.”
Women with large breasts can also have problems.
“To expand their lungs to breathe, they have to lift whatever weight is on their chest up and out,” Dr Tolhurst said.
“When they’re upright, the extra breast tissue doesn’t make a big difference, but when they are asleep at night, particularly on their back, the extra weight of very large breasts can make a big difference to the amount of pressure they have to generate.”
Many women don’t realise the broader health and emotional consequences of snoring.
“Snoring has been linked with increased high blood pressure and increased stroke,” Dr Tolhurst said.
A study from the Snoring Center in Chicago last year found snoring was causing relationship issues in 30 percent of couples. Forty-six percent of people involved in the study said they would consider breaking up with somebody whose snoring interrupted their sleep.
“It can lead to two tired and cranky patients in the relationship. They feel guilty when one has to move to another room, and can have a negative impact on the intimacy. It’s no wonder that that on top of all of life’s normal stress is enough to break,” Dr Tolhurt said.
“Snoring in women is becoming a really big issue, especially for single women who might be looking for a new life partner — it can be a real deal-breaker for some of them.”
But Dr Tolhurst said treatment is often quite simple.
“One treatment is called the Theravent, which is a band aid-looking thing that sits on the outside of the nostril,” he said.
“It works by holding up some of the flow when a patient breathes out, which increases the pressure. It’s not particularly ugly and can make a huge difference.”
