Is snoring hereditary?

My parents and brother both snore. Is this disease hereditary and how can it be prevented? (Phuoc Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply:

Many studies have shown that snoring and obstructive sleep apnea run in families. However, the gene that directly causes it has not been found genetically. The reason why many people in a family snore may be because members have similar living and eating habits. This leads to the risk of developing the same disease.

For example, a family with a high-calorie diet but little exercise leads to obesity and hypoventilation. A constantly disturbed living environment causes family members to have too much REM sleep - rapid eye movement sleep. These are high-risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea.

To prevent snoring related to obstructive sleep apnea, you should control your weight well. The larger the waist circumference, the greater the resistance to diaphragm movement during sleep, causing sleep apnea.

You should also limit alcohol, soft drinks, and cigarettes. Meals should be at least two hours before bedtime and you should have a suitable exercise and sports regimen. You should maintain the habit of going to bed on time, creating conditions for adequate sleep cycles, helping the body recover better.

If there are many people in your family who snore, you should go for a health check-up and have a polysomnography or sleep polygraphy. Through this, the doctor will diagnose the cause of snoring, related diseases such as sleep apnea, obesity, hypoventilation... and treat effectively.

Dr. Dang Thi Mai Khue
Deputy Head of Internal Medicine Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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