2017 may be over, but many of the tremendous shifts that occurred will be with us for many years. Among the shifts that represent a permanent groundswell is the amazing degree to which people pivoted to snoring, sleep apnea, and related health concerns. People are really beginning to understand how these are serious health conditions that can lead to dangerous, even deadly complications.
So it’s not actually surprising that in 2017, snoring and related health conditions were people’s most-Googled health questions. Now we can only hope that people are finding information that leads them to understand the variety of successful treatment options so people can find the one that’s right for them.
The Top 10 Health Questions
These are the top 10 most searched health questions, according to Google and CNN:
- What causes hiccups?
- How to stop snoring?
- What causes kidney stones?
- Why am I so tired?
- How long does the flu last?
- What is normal blood pressure?
- How to lower cholesterol?
- What causes high blood pressure?
- What is ADHD?
- What is lupus?
Aside from a couple of perennial questions, like “What causes hiccups?” people were mostly focused on serious health concerns that they were struggling with. In particular, the prominent place of snoring on this list speaks to the number of people who are struggling with snoring. To a very real extent, when one person struggles with snoring, it’s not just them that’s struggling, it’s the entire house, as the lack of sleep can lead to fighting and other household disruptions.
But it’s not just snoring that’s on this list–half of the list is made up of concerns related to sleep disordered breathing. For example, the question of “Why am I so tired?” could commonly be answered with the daytime sleepiness that is the most prominent symptom of sleep apnea (other than snoring). This is the symptom that should lead most people to sleep apnea treatment, but, unfortunately, even when people ask their doctor this question, the doctor may come up with a dozen answers, none of which are sleep apnea.
There are two questions on this list related to high blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure is another key health effect that is linked to sleep apnea. It’s also one of the main warning signs that sleep apnea is affecting your heart health. If you have elevated blood pressure, especially blood pressure that isn’t responding to traditional treatment, it’s likely you have sleep apnea. It’s such a reliable sign that it’s part of the Harvard Sleep Apnea Questionnaire.
Finally, people are asking about causes of ADHD. For many children, the answer to that question is also sleep apnea, which can be treated in children as well as adults.
In all, snoring and related health concerns account for about half of the top 10 most Googled health questions.
Is Snoring Your Top Health Concern?
Which brings us to the big question about your top health concerns. Are they snoring, high blood pressure, being tired all the time, or ADHD? Or maybe they’re weight gain, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s disease, all of which have also been linked to sleep apnea and snoring.
If these or other linked conditions are at the top of your list, we can help. Please call (614) 848-5001 today for an appointment with sleep dentist Dr. Mike Firouzian at Firouzian Dentistry.
