Snoring During Pregnancy

Being pregnant, if you have developed the habit of snoring of late, there is a strong possibility that you are suffering from sleep apnea. Women undergo significant emotional and physical changes during pregnancy.

These changes are basically caused due to many hormonal changes. Estrogen is one such hormone that is dominant in pregnant women. Excess presence of estrogen in pregnant women causes the muscles of the neck to become soft and along with the accumulated fat around the neck area, creates a blockade to free breathing, which results in the individual developing the habit of snoring.

Nearly about 30% pregnant women suffer from such a condition, which mostly occurs during the last four weeks of gestation. This is not unusual and can be rectified in most cases by sleeping in a different posture. Instead of lying on their backs, with the weight of the child they are carrying, especially in the third trimester, pregnant women should sleep sideways, which could significantly learn how to stop snoring.

But if the snoring is excessive or chronic, there is every possibility that you are suffering from sleep apnea. Women suffering from this condition tend to briefly stop breathing for about 10 seconds, which results in lesser oxygen supply. This develops into further complications and a condition called preeclampsia occurs.

Only pregnant women develop this condition by which the individual suffering may suffer from very high blood pressure, proteinurea (presence of protein in urine) and general swelling of the body.

Those suffering from such a condition may also suffer from severe headaches, vomiting, blurred vision, liver abnormalities and sleepiness during daytime. Suffering from only one of the above mentioned symptoms need not necessarily mean that a woman is suffering from preeclampsia.

Detailed study and research has revealed that only pregnant women who add excess weight tend to develop snoring. The study also reveals that hypertension during pregnancy induces snoring in 14% of women and 52% of such pregnant women who snore, tend to suffer from swollen face, hands or legs.

Only 30% of pregnant women who do not snore, suffer from edema (swelling). Pregnant women suffering from sleep apnea, which causes reduced oxygen supply, stand the risk of growth retardation of the fetus and in some extreme cases even in death of the fetus they are carrying.

In cases where there is excess snoring, the pregnant woman should immediately be attended to by a physician as otherwise there is a possibility that both the mother and the child may be in severe danger. Pregnant women who snore often deliver infants who are under-weight and with lower Apgar scores, where the infants are tested for heart rate, breathing, reflex movements, muscle tone and skin color.

Though the proper cause of this severe condition called preemclampsia has not been established, the link between preeclampsia, snoring and infants with lower birth weights seems to be certain. The physical well-being of the pregnant woman is very essential for the development and well-being of the infant to be born.

Starting to snore could be a warning to pregnant women and may prove very harmful for both the mother and the child, if the condition is not rectified. Hence, regular check-ups with a physician is a must and pregnant women should ensure that they reveal any changes in their condition to the physician.