Why Is It Important to Tell My Doctor I Snore Before Having Surgery?

Snoring is a sign of an underlying problem with your airways, which could put you at risk for issues during a surgical procedure. Watch internist and sleep expert Carol Ash, DO, explain why you should tell your doctor if you snore before surgery.

Transcript

00:00

You know, most of us think of snoring as a silly thing and really more of a habit than a problem.

00:09

Snoring is actually a sign of an underlying problem with your airway. And what happens when you go to sleep at night

00:16

or if you're napping, it's normal for your muscles in the throat region to relax. That causes the airway to narrow.

00:23

As the airway narrows, airflow can become more turbulent and that will vibrate tissues. That's what snoring is.

00:29

So we know that anyone that is snoring has a little bit more of a narrowness to their airway than we would like.

00:36

And it, in fact, can actually collapse down all the way as if you were suffocating. Your brain realizes there's a problem with your breathing

00:44

and responds to your needs, and it will return the tone to those muscles so your airway opens up again and you can breathe normally.

00:51

Now, imagine, if you're going for surgery or a procedure that requires sedation, well, your brain

00:58

just will not respond properly to your needs. It's sedated. If you are going for surgery, you

01:06

want to make sure you alert your doctors to the fact that you do snore. Your doctor, then, should do a simple screen asking you

01:14

some questions to determine if you are someone that's at high risk for problems when you go to that procedure

01:21

to the or. And failing to do so leaves you at risk for cardiac or respiratory failure.

01:29

And the consequences of that can be serious. You can end up with brain injury and sometimes, even death.

01:36

So as silly as snoring may sound, it's deadly serious when you're going for a procedure or surgery.