Now, women give sleepless nights with loud snores

Though sleep apnoea and snoring are largely associated with men, many women are being diagnosed with it. And this calls for more focus on the section of population that are also at equal risk, if not more, say experts. 

Talking to DTNext on the sidelines of the launch of a well-equipped sleep lab at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital on Wednesday, Dr MN Shankar, Professor and HOD, ENT, at the facility, said, “We see a significant number of women in the post-menopausal stage largely due to hormonal changes.” Dr Shankar says, “The significant increase in weight is a huge contributing factor.” Doctors say that an estimated 3-5 per cent of the population in Tamil Nadu is suffering from the condition. Dr N Ramakrishnan, Director, Nithra Institute of Sleep Sciences, explains that ideally, the ratio of the disorder between men and women is 1.5:1. “This ratio goes to 2:1 for those in the age group between 18-45, as there is some kind of protection as an effect of hormones. But during pregnancy, women develop it as they gain weight,” he says. 

“We see many women even from lower middle income groups being overweight. Chances are high that they have the condition, but are unaware of it,” Dr Shankar says. The increasing numbers, especially from the middle and lower middle income groups, has led to the conception of the sleep lab, a state- of-the-art facility, equipped to diagnose and cure people with the condition, under one roof. “The implications are many from increased risk of cardiovascular illness, sudden cardiac arrest to cognitive dysfunction and decreased productivity,” he says.