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| Snoring --The Connection Between Snoring and Erections Related Links Stop Snoring --10 Practical Tips That Work Snoring is not just a night time annoyance. It is a serious health problem which can also put you at risk for developing erectile dysfunction. An estimated 105 to 175 million people in the US Europe suffer from snoring. Snoring is the sound produced from any kind of obstruction in the airways when you sleep. Technically, snoring does not cause any health concerns. But a significant percentage of those who snore loudly enough to be heard outside the room -- so-called "heroic snoring" --also stop breathing many times during the night. The syndrome in which you stop breathing, for periods lasting as long as 15 seconds, is called obstructive sleep apnea. People who snore put themselves at high risk for developing sleep apnea. How? Each time you snore, you risk lengthening the soft palate, which can obstruct breathing. Snoring of this type drops your oxygen intake while you sleep. So what does oxygen intake have to do with erections? Everything. The connection between snoring and erectile dysfunction leads through a tiny piece of tissue in your throat called the carotid body. This tiny piece of tissue is responsible for sensing oxygen levels. Think of it as the oxygen police. Without oxygen-rich blood you can not produce an erection. When the body is deprived of oxygen ---as occurs in a high percentage of snorers with sleep apnea-- an alarm goes off. A study conducted by Case Western University demonstrated that, whenever your oxygen levels drop off at night --which can occur when you snore-- the carotid body sends an alarm though out your body. Your body answers this alarm by raising your blood pressure. This causes hypertension. And, as we have written before, hypertension is the Number One cause of erectile dysfunction. Further proof of the connection between oxygen intake and erectile dysfunction comes from studies involving drugs to treat ED. Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects 60% to 70% of heart failure clinic outpatients, according to a study published in 2002 by the American Heart Association. And drugs which improved erectile dysfunction in cardiac failure patients also increased the body's ability to take in oxygen. Article Continues below. In 2004, a study published in the March Issue of the Journal of Urology determined that 50% of those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea did not experience morning erections. Remember, 50% of heavy snorers experience this type of obstructive sleep apnea in which they stop breathing for about 15 seconds many times during the night. An earlier study published in the May 2001 by the American College of Maxillofacial Surgeons also found that 50% of snorers with obstructive sleep apnea also had erectile dysfunction. Clearly, your body's ability to take in oxygen affects the quality of your erections. And, anything which decreases your body's ability to take in oxygen-- measured by the a number called the VCO2 coefficient-- also decreases your ability to sustain an erection. Snoring decreases your oxygen intake. As a result, there is an indirect but powerful connection between snoring and your risk of developing erectile dysfunction. But many people who snore have no clue that they do. They wake themselves up dozens of times during the night but are not aware of it. One clue that you may suffer from this snoring-related sleep disruption is that you feel drowsy and exhausted the next day, even after you think you've been asleep all night. People who snore have higher risk for developing ED, high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke. If you snoring-related sleep apnea, you are about three times as likely to die from a heart attack in the middle of the night as the general population, according to a study in the March 24 New England Journal of Medicine. "The consequences of this intermittent [oxygen deprivation], if it persists for years, can be very drastic," says physiologist Nanduri R. Prabhakar of Case Western Reserve University. Here's the bottom line. Your erections are like any other part of your body. You have to take care of your general health to take care of your erectile health. They are inextricably linked. You have to guard your erectile function by avoiding obesity, doing regular right exercises and, perhaps most critically, doing everything you can on your own to keep your night time oxygen high ---- which means you have to stop snoring. Related Link Stop Snoring --10 Best Tips Research Sources: Margel D et al (2004) OSA is associated with erectile dysfunction. Urology Mar 63 (3) 545-9. Madani M (2001) Snoring can affect your sex life. American College of Oral & Maxillofacial surgeons May 2001. American Heart Association American Society of Hypertension The American Society of Hypertension (ASH) is the largest US organization devoted exclusively to hypertension and related cardiovascular diseases. ASH is committed to alerting physicians, allied health professionals and the public about new medical options, facts, research findings and treatment choices designed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. American Society of Hypertension (ASH) 116 John St., 24 FL New York, NY 10038 United States http://www.ash-us.org |
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