Can snoring cause chronic kidney failure? Have you fallen victim to the diseases that 176 million people suffer from?
When it comes to sleep problems, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is insomnia. But there is a sleep disease that is related to what everyone thinks of as “sleeping well”, and that is snoring.
Snoring, also known as snoring, is very common in people’s lives and can occur in people of all ages. Many people regard snoring as a sign of sleeping well or being too tired, but in fact, severe snoring can cause repeated apnea during sleep and intermittent hypoxia, which can cause damage to multiple systems of the body and cause high blood pressure. , coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmia, chronic renal failure and other diseases. This disease is also known medically as “sleep apnea.”
March 21st is the annual “World Sleep Day”, and this year’s theme is “Healthy Sleep, Shared by Everyone”. Lin Min, deputy chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Third Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, will teach you about “sleep apnea” through a case.
did not sleep well? The kidney failure crisis behind snoring
Xiao Du (pseudonym), an upright and middle-aged man, has been suffering from poor sleep for a long time in recent years. Although according to family members, he snored loudly every time he lay down, and from time to time he would move his hands and feet and drool, as if he was struggling. After waking up, Xiao Du often feels sleepy. He always feels that he has not slept enough and is in low spirits. At first, Xiao Du and his family didn’t think it was a disease. They thought the snoring was just louder and would disturb others while sleeping, so it was nothing serious. Therefore, they never thought of going to the hospital for relevant examinations and treatments, let alone regular physical examinations. But in fact, Xiao Du was already suffering from a potentially dangerous disease that could be complicated by many diseases throughout the body.
Until recently, Xiao Du went to the hospital for treatment due to repeated coughing. After a series of examinations, the doctor told him a surprising fact: It turned out that his long-term snoring symptoms were not a simple sleep problem, but a severe form of “sleep apnea.” To make matters worse, due to long-term neglect and delay, his condition has deteriorated to the point of chronic renal failure, and is also complicated by metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hypertensive retinopathy, hyperuricemia, and gastroesophageal reflux. Influenza, fatty liver and many other diseases.
According to the American Kidney Foundation’s criteria, chronic kidney disease is divided into five stages. Mr. Du’s current condition has progressed to the fourth stage, which means that his kidney function has been severely damaged. If there is no active treatment, his condition will soon progress to stage five, at which time he will have to rely on kidney dialysis to maintain his life.
Through this example, we realize that sleep problems are not trivial and may hide serious health risks.
Often overlooked health killer: sleep apnea
Sleep apnea, whose medical name is “obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome”, is a very common and easily ignored disease. The main symptom of this disease is snoring. Lin Min, deputy chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Third Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, said that patients repeatedly experience collapse of one or more parts of the nose, pharynx, and larynx during sleep, causing the airway to become narrow or even completely blocked. When the tract is narrowed, the air flowing in and out of the lungs decreases, and snoring occurs. When the airway is completely blocked and air cannot be inhaled or exhaled, apnea occurs, which is what we call suffocation.
“Nine out of ten men snore”, this saying shows that snoring is very common. According to rough estimates, there are currently 176 million sleep apnea patients in our country, and about 65.52 million people need active treatment. The well-known Olympic champion Yang Wei, actor Chen Qiaoen and Huo Qigang all have this disease and are all undergoing active treatment. Many people mistakenly believe that snoring means sleeping soundly, which is incorrect. Due to the occurrence of apnea, the sleep quality of patients is actually not good. Many people are often in a light sleep state. Many people also experience insufficient sleep, inability to relieve fatigue after sleeping, fatigue, dozing off, and dry mouth in the middle of the night or in the morning. , increased frequency of nocturia, chest tightness or acid reflux at night, head discomfort in the morning, prone to losing temper, memory loss, etc.
Why does sleep apnea cause chronic kidney failure?
Director Lin Min introduced that due to the repeated collapse of the upper respiratory tract during sleep, the airway is narrowed or even completely blocked, causing chronic intermittent hypoxia and hypercapnia, inducing oxidative stress, inflammatory state, hemodynamic instability, Sympathetic excitement, etc. cause damage to endothelial cell function, leading to related organ damage. The renal medulla is particularly sensitive to hypoxia, and sleep apnea triggers oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, leading to tubulointerstitial damage, a hallmark of chronic kidney disease. Apneic episodes stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and the renin–angiotensin system, leading to systemic and glomerular hypertension, vascular injury, and arterial wall stiffness, ultimately leading to renal ischemia. If it is not detected and treated in time, it may develop into chronic renal failure and uremia, and you will have to rely on kidney dialysis to survive in the future.
