CAN SNORING INDUCE OR WORSEN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA

Snoring and sleep apneas are breathing disorders intimately associated during sleep. Most snorers are 'simple' or 'nonapneic', as the preval ence of snoring is much higher than that of sleep apneas. The vibratio ns transmitted to the pharyngeal structures by snoring span a large ra nge of frequencies, while the energy transmitted may reach high values . A deleterious effect of these vibrations can therefore be considered . In 1983 a group of investigators from Bologna described five cases o f heavy snorers of increasing severity, suggesting that they correspon d to the natural history of 'heavy snorers' disease'. The present arti cle reviews the data published since 1983 in favor of this hypothesis: anatomic lesions of the upper airway mucosa, pharyngeal muscles and n erves, and clinical observations in snorers. The conclusion stresses t he absence of ultimate proof in favor of this attractive hypothesis: w e lack the demonstration of a significant increase of the incidence of sleep apnea in a group of nonapneic snorers in a longitudinal follow- up study.