In a study of 12,000 people they discovered that 25% of men snored heavily at least three nights a week, with those exposed to traffic pollution being at the highest risk. A similar proportion of women suffered from daytime sleepiness, and again the likelihood of this happening increased with their exposure to traffic pollution.

For those sleeping in rooms close to busy roads – meaning they were exposed to both airborne pollutants and noise, there was an increased risk of snoring and daytime sleepiness with men more likely to snore and women more prone to sleepiness.

The study, based on data collected in cities across northern Europe, was revealed at this week’s annual meeting in London of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), attended by over 20,000 doctors and researchers.

In the results, Ane Johannessen, the leading epidemiologist at Bergen University in Norway, and her colleagues said: “It is likely that air pollution can cause snoring through airway inflammation… One could speculate whether women who have husbands who snore experience more daytime sleepiness but the key is understanding the impact of pollution.” Professor Stephen Holgate, the ERS’s science council chairman, said living by a busy road has been shown to have an impact on lungs similar to that of smoking 10 cigarettes a day.

He called on all governments, to bring in a “Clean Air Act” to force the automotive industry to minimise vehicle emissions: “Diesel in particular is the No 1 source of toxic air pollutants. Diesel particulates are carcinogenic and highly damaging to human organs.”

Professor Jorgen Vestbo, president of the ERS, said that the UK government should issue guidance on how to reduce exposure to air pollution such as by avoiding walking near main roads. “We cannot stop breathing polluted air but we can limit our exposure. Even walking a metre from the kerb or taking a back street does make a difference,” he said.
Loud snoring and daytime tiredness are often associated with obstructive sleep apnoea – or OSA. Snoring sounds a simple matter but it can be deadly if not treated and the effects on the patient’s health over time are extreme.

Those affected by air and traffic pollution, and in fact all snorers, can easily access high quality, effective stop snoring treatment devices that have been medically approved, and can do so online without needing a prescription. These oral appliances, worn at night, are both effective and comfortable, and are made to fit you your dental profile exactly. Leading medical researchers at the NHS Papworth Hospital in the UK, who are world-famous for their work in heart research and sleep disorders, have carried out totally independent research across this field with conclusive findings..

Their two key recommendations for custom-made oral appliances were:

• SleepPro Custom should be offered as first line treatment for mild OSA and any form of snoring
• SleepPro Custom should be offered as an alternative to CPAP for the treatment of moderate OSA including those who were lapsed users

Treatment using a custom mouthpiece such as the one described, will not only prevent this problem, but may even reverse some of the damage that has already happened. Ignoring the problem is extremely dangerous and unfortunately thousands of people do just that and suffer very severe consequences as they age, including diabetes, chronic fatigue and cardiovascular problems. It has also been proved that untreated snoring advances the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by approximately five years.

Use of a simple oral appliance will help to maintain the continued oxygen supply to the brain, something that OSA interrupts, so if you snore you should consider using a stop snoring treatment device immediately.