Snoring could be a sign that you’re suffering from sleep apnea, which sharply increases your risk of developing erectile dysfunction Talk to your doctor about these problems before they become even more difficult to treat.

If your partner has been complaining mightily about your nightly snoring, it’s time to take some action. Not only does your snoring disrupt your partner’s Sleep, but it also can be a warning sign of a more serious health problem, one that can impair your ability to get and keep an erection suitable for intercourse.

Chronic snoring could be a sign that you are suffering from obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a condition that occurs when the muscles of your throat periodically relax to the point that they block your airway, making it difficult or even impossible to breathe.

Other Health Problems

And OSA can lead to a host of other health problems, according to MayoClinic.org. In addition to erectile dysfunction, its complications include daytime fatigue, high blood pressure, heart and liver problems, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.

Multiple studies have pointed to a link between sleep apnea and ED. Most recently, a team of German researchers evaluated data from 28 relevant studies in an effort to confirm this association. Published in the June 2018 issue of the International Journal of Impotence Research, the review found that men with OSA face a significantly higher risk of ED than men with no symptoms of sleep apnea.

CPAP Therapy

One of the most effective treatments for sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Patients undergoing this form of therapy wear a breathing mask attached to a machine that maintains air pressure in the throat as they sleep. This continuous pressure prevents the patient’s airway from collapsing as he sleeps. Two studies — one from Germany and another from Spain — published during 2018 produced evidence that erectile function improved in male OSA patients treated with Cpap Therapy.

German researchers assembled a study group of 94 men suffering from severe OSA. Of these men, slightly more than two-thirds also suffered from ED. All study participants underwent 6 to 12 months of CPAP therapy. Findings showed that this therapy significantly improved erectile function in men who were suffering from moderate to severe ED. The degree of improvement appeared to be linked with the degree of compliance with therapy protocol. The German research team published its findings in the April 2018 issue of Sleep Medicine.

Spanish Research Study

The Spanish research team evaluated the efficacy of CPAP therapy on 150 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA. Of those 150, approximately half also suffered from ED. Although the Spanish researchers confirmed the widely reported association between OSA and ED, they were unable to determine conclusively whether CPAP therapy is an effective stand-alone treatment for ED. This study was published in the August 2018 issue of PLOS One.

If your partner has been complaining about your snoring and you’ve also noticed some deterioration in erectile function, report these problems to your doctor who can help determine if you are suffering from sleep apnea and its related effects on erectile function. The doctor can best decide what, if any, form of treatment is appropriate given your specific symptoms.

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