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A new study from Australia suggests
pregnant women who snore may be at a greater risk for a potentially
fatal condition called preeclampsia, a hypertensive disorder.
Researchers led by Dr. Colin Sullivan of the University of Sydney
studied 32 pregnant women with severe preeclampsia and 14 women who
had normal pregnancies. Preeclampsia is a condition in which the
mother's blood pressure rises dramatically during pregnancy and may
rise again during delivery.
According to the study, all of the
women with preeclampsia developed snoring during pregnancy. Less
than half of the pregnant women who did not have preeclampsia
snored. Researchers also found that in all of the preeclampsia
patients, blood pressure increased during the night and was
accompanied by partial obstruction of air passages. Sleep and
snoring can increase carbon dioxide levels, which then causes a
narrowing of blood vessels and a rise in blood pressure. Wearing a
CPAP mask that maintains oxygen intake while patients sleep can
treat people who snore and suffer from sleep apnea during their
pregnancy months. Laser surgery before or after pregnancy may
correct the snoring and reduce the intensity of sleep apnea as well.
Researchers suggest such treatment may improve nocturnal blood
pressure in preeclampsia women.
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