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Dr. Kim Mulvihill Reporting Snoring may be more hazardous to your health and well being than you might think.
Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems such as stroke, weight gain, and headaches. A new study suggests that it may also cause serious damage to your marriage.
Researchers studied ten couples in which the male was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The couples spent the night in a sleep lab, where sensors monitored their every move, including their brains, eyes, breathing and muscles.
Researchers calculated what's called a sleep efficiency rating. That's the percentage of time someone actually sleeps during the night. An average rating is about 90. Women in the group measured more like 73.
Then, on a scale of one to ten, the women measured their quality of life on the low side, averaging just 1.2. The lack of sleep created a hostile and tense situation in the household.
Questioners revealed that the strain on the marriage threatened its very stability.
But there is a happy ending to the story. Each man was treated for his sleep apnea for two weeks, and the tests were repeated. The findings show that the women woke up less frequently, and their sleep efficiency levels jumped from 73 percent to 82 percent. Their quality of life jumped from 1.2 to 7.
