OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice.
Today,Dr Zoehelps a reader developed an asthmatic type snoring noise post-Covid.
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Q)I’M a very fit 79-year-old male suffering from an asthmatic type/snoring noise on my lung, which I developed post-Covid.
It’s more pronounced when I lie down in bed.
I go abroad every year in the hope the hot weather will dry my lungs, but without success.
I am not asthmatic. Can this be cured, or is it a side effect of statins which I have been taking for over two years?
READ MORE FROM DR ZOE
A: Many different types of sounds can be heard in the lungs, which suggest a change in the way that air is flowing, and different sounds give clues towards different things.
A ‘snoring’ type sound would suggest mucus or something else is causing an obstruction.
Have you had it investigated?
If not, then you should, initially with an examination by your GP and a chest X-ray.
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Statins can cause a lung disorder called interstitial lung disease, but it’s a very rare side effect and the typical symptoms are cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, or loss of appetite with weight loss.
If you have any of these symptoms, it’s important to let your GP know, as they can overlap with other lung diseases.
As you’ve had it for years and describe yourself as ‘very fit’ it’s reassuring that it’s unlikely to be sinister.
I'm a doctor - here's the anti-snoring exercises you need for a better night's sleep
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When your partner's snoring is a concern
Lots of people snore... So when is it really a concern?
Dr Verena Senn, sleep expert atEmma Sleep, told The Sun when snoring could indicate sleep apnoea - a sleep condition that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and re-start when you're asleep.
The main symptoms are feeling very tired, finding it hard to concentrate and having mood swings, theNHSsays.
Dr Senn said that sleep apnoea can often go undetected as it can happen without the patient's knowing.
"Sleep partners can therefore play a crucial role in recognising this serious disease so it can be treated."
You should tell your partner to visit their GP if:
- Their snoring is really loud
- They stop breathing while sleeping
- They wake up gasping or choking through the night
- They complain of sleepiness in the daytime or headaches in the morning
People with obstructive sleep apnoea will often also suffer with high blood pressure.
When you stop breathing during your sleep, your nervous system kicks in and releases stress hormones which may raise blood pressure over time.
