Cancer News: Snoring May Cause Cancer, Study Says

Most people don't worry about their snoring habits, thinking that it results from exhaustion. But as it turns out, snoring is a symptom of an underlying sleep disorder. But what you don't know is that it is also now linked to cancer.

Web MD explains the cause: snoring occurs when the lungs have a hard time inhaling oxygen when the airway path is blocked. The tissues of the soft palate -- the soft spot on the mouth's roof -- tend to vibrate when this happens, causing you to hear that annoying noise. 

According to School of Medicine and Public Health, this notion was already studied in 2012. The previous study found that sleep apnea, which can obstruct the airway for at least 10 seconds, is associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality. 

The study's lead author F. Javier Nieto, MD, PhD, MPH states about the study of cancer deaths incidence in patients with severe sleep disordered breathing (SBD) compared to those without the disorder was nearly five times higher; a result that reflects previous discovery in animal studies.

It is perceived that sleep apnea hinders the vital lungs from receiving oxygen, thus causing "the body [to] release a signal protein to form more blood vessels," as per Daily Times. This could potentially help cancerous tumors develop and grow in size because of the production of blood vessels inside tumors. However, this new study suggests otherwise: using mice with kidney tumors, the researchers found that the the cancer could instead be caused by hypoxia, whereas an organ or tissue lacks oxygen supply.

Dr Antoni Vilaseca of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona said that people who experience obstructive sleep apnea usually suffer from intermittent hypoxia at night. This shows that intermittent hypoxia could possibly promote the formation of blood vessels within tumours.

He added, nevertheless, this might be a possible mechanism why such conditions may promote cancer. It is not quite sure if sleep apnea really increases the risk of acquiring cancer or just more serious cases. Either way, snoring is a cause for concern.

If you usually snore and feel sleepy during the day, have your health check with your doctor. Also, this is very helpful to people who carries an extra pounds because they increase sleep apnea risk. As stated by Mens Health, instead of sleeping with your back, sleep on your side as this can improve some cases of sleep apnea.