Snoring is a risk factor for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Snoring correlates very well with Body Mass Index (BMI), being overweigh or obese, and having a large neck and collar size, all of which promotes airway obstruction. Snoring also correlates with sleep deprivation, sleepiness, fatigue, irritability, bad mood, as well as heart attack (34% greater risk) and stroke (67% greater risk), when compared to those “who do not snore.”
When OSA is the reason for the snoring, clinically, it means breathing is obstructed or completely cut-off. this means you are deprived of oxygen (hypoxia), which leads to a very low pulse, a distorted sleep pattern, and 15-30 awakenings per hour, which the patient never feels. That is why you need a “sleep lab” to clinically diagnose the condition.
Compared to those who are normal weight adults, (BMI 18.5 - 24.9%), those who are obese (BMI > 30%) have a seven-fold increased risk of developing Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). A recent study suggests that as many as one in fifteen Americans have at least moderate OSA. If your neck circumference is more than 15 inches (females) or 16.5 inches (males), you may have a cause for concern. See your doctor and ask about OSA.
On the other hand, if you are a normal weigh adult, why would you care about other people’s weight or neck circumference? Well, in 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed rules on Aviation Medical Examiners (AME) to screen commercial airline pilots for OSA during “flight physicals” prior to cleaning them as “Flight Qualified.” Turns out, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had been investigating a commercial airline flight incident dating back to 2008, where “BOTH PILOTS” had fallen asleep at the controls, causing them to “overfly their destination.” The investigation concluded the cause to be OSA.
Naturally, the NTSB and the FAA cracked down hard on pilots with risk factors for OSA, especially those with BMIs > 40%. They cited that a pilot who suffers from OSA may be “flying with the performance equivalent of having a blood-alcohol level of 0.06 - 0.08% — a legal measure of intoxication.”
Thoughtfully, just like the CDC protects the public from infectious diseases, the NTSB and FAA help maintain the public airways safe by making sure pilots maintain adequate health. The Department of Transportation (DOT) also has OSA treatment criteria for those who acquire a Commercial Driver License (CDL), the aim being to maintain safer roadways.
Snoring and OSA is not only an individual problem, but a pubic health problem that, directly or indirectly, affects us all. Luckily, the government regulators have not mandated doctors screen individuals for OSA prior to getting an old-fashioned driver license.
If you have snoring, feel tired and sleep deprived, are overweight or obese, or have a neck see that meets criteria for risk of OSA, go to the following website to answer a few questions using the Epwrorth Sleepiness Scale: https//www.cdc.gov/niosh/workhour-training-for-nurses/02/epworth.pdf.