“Doctor, I snore and I’m ashamed; it’s ugly and it’s old!” This is often how women come to consult and land in my office, says Dr. Marc Blumen, ENT at Foch Hospital in Suresnes. Many imagine that only men snore. In reality, if they do it a little more – because they are often more affected by overweight problems and are not protected by their hormones – women are not left out and do not always know it. “Concretely, as a woman, you can snore from little girl to grandmother, without distinction” explains the doctor.
Later diagnosis in women
“Longer studies, careers that they favor more often… Women’s lives have evolved, so much so that they remain single longer than before. As a result, no one is there to point out to them that they snore and they may have apnea,” says Dr. Blumen.
Especially since men are often heavier sleepers than women, who are used to being on the alert for children during the night; that we have long taught doctors that “only men have apneas and that the symptomatology presented by women is a little different than that of men concerning apneas: significant fatigue rather than drowsiness, even insomnia. Finally, because it’s not politically correct, women don’t complain as much as men,” adds Dr Blumen. “We still see a peak in consultations at the start of the school year. It is explained by the fact that in summer, couples spent more time sleeping in the same room and could not stand each other’s snoring or the murderous remarks about it” jokes our expert.
Snoring: who is at risk?
“I have several types of patients who come to see me in the practice, knowing that in them, snoring is very much linked to hormonal variations, explains Dr. Blumen. Those in their twenties are those to whom we have say they were snoring, and who find it hard to accept it.” It is therefore not for health reasons that they pass the door of their ENT, but because, under the pressure of society, they are ashamed, even if they sleep alone.
“I also have the case of women who, because they have a second life after a divorce, learn that they snore and come to consult” continues Dr. Blumen. This same age group is hit hard by menopause, whose hormonal upheavals have consequences on weight gain, hence more frequent snoring. From there, there is no longer any real difference between the sexes from this point of view. “Of course, I have women of all ages who come to see me because of sleep-related disorders: unexplained fatigue to the point of exhaustion, drowsiness, significant insomnia… says Dr Blumen, but it’s more difficult for women to realize that they are very tired, because they are often in a state of hypervigilance.”
The doctor ends his typology: “Finally, we must also take into account the woman who snores during her pregnancy, that is 50% of them (those who already did so before or were overweight will do so even more, the others may snore slightly)”.
However, if snoring is associated with sleep apnea, this can cause gestational diabetes (the risks are multiplied by up to three) or high blood pressure (three times the risk) and possible growth retardation for the fetus.
Snoring: what consequences for health?
The impact is twofold. First of all, “they play on the life of a couple and their patience, which they can put to the test. Because by snoring with apnea, it is not only their sleep that is disturbed, but also that of the other. If the partner’s sleep is light, it can become a nightmare for him,” says Dr. Blumen. This causes micro-awakenings in the snorer (by apnea) and in his partner (by snoring) which, by multiplying, have the consequences of creating irritability, memory and concentration problems, drowsiness during the day, poor performance at work. …
“For the good of the couple, I sometimes recommend sleeping in a slightly staggered room or having a separate bedroom if this poses a problem, especially in couples who have spent many years together and for whom the separate bedroom gives additional comfort. .” Dr. Blumen clarifies: “But snoring also plays a role in long-term health, through apneas, if these are present.” In this case, the flow of air passing through the respiratory system is blocked for more than 10 seconds and creates a lack of oxygenation in the body, increasing the risk of hypertension, stroke, diabetes, overweight for those who suffer…
Snoring: what solutions?
“I don’t treat a woman like I treat a man”explains Dr. Blumen, and to specify: “before, we put everyone in the same basket. Today, we know that the profiles are different and that it is is important to take the person with his sex, his age, his grievances, his expectations… We do not reason in the same way, otherwise it does not work.
The main thing is already to understand the type and importance of the discomfort (social, marital) and the associated respiratory problem… or not. In addition to the clinical examination and the potential overweight that may be linked, the treatment is adapted and the diet is tried to review, avoiding weight variations. If it is positional snoring, accessories can change your posture at night. It is also possible to reduce the thickness of the mucous membranes of the nose blocking the passage to the throat with the laser after having carried out therapeutic tests, to stiffen or remove part of the soft palate, to remove the tonsils, but also to wear a custom-made dental orthosis or , in case of severe sleep apnea, a CPAP (continuous positive pressure) device, especially if the tongue is too big and does not leave space for air to pass when lying down.
Our expert : Dr Marc Blumen, otolaryngologist at Foch Hospital in Suresnes and at the Sleep Sleep Medical Center in Paris
