When you actually take a few minutes to stop and think about it, your heart is an amazing device. I am speaking more of the physical heart than the emotional heart. Although, the emotional heart does some pretty amazing things too.

One of the bigger health issues in our nation is heart disease. Every day hundreds of people across the nation will have a medical issue with their hearts. In many cases, those issues are seemingly mild. Yet in other cases, they can be fatal.

National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
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If only there were warning signs that could "tip us off" to an inherent danger. As you've probably figured out, there are actually several warning signs or symptoms that you might already be aware of.

Many of us know of the feelings of pressure in the chest or numbness in the left arm as "warning" signs of a heart issue. But there is actually a signal that your body could be giving off even while you sleep that according to researchers signifies your propensity to suffer a cardiac event.

Darius Bashar via Unsplash.com
Darius Bashar via Unsplash.com
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What is that signal? It's snoring. Yeah, the sawing of logs while you sleep. The reason your wife wants you to sleep on the couch. The reason why the neighbors want you to keep your windows closed.

Snoring and associated sleep apnea are becoming more and more synonymous with cardiac issues. The fact that snoring suggests there are issues with the body's air passage and how oxygen is shared within the body are reasons behind these assumptions.

It has been noted that the carotid arteries in snorers had thicker arterial walls. Researchers believe these thickened walls are caused by snoring. The research suggests that vibrations caused by snoring actually contribute to inflammation and trauma within the respiratory and circulatory systems.

Some researchers now place snoring as a bigger risk factor for heart attack than smoking, being overweight, or having high cholesterol. The good news is that snoring can be fixed. Just as being overweight, smoking, and having high cholesterol can be turned around as well.

Business man sleeping on a laptop computer
feedough, ThinkStock
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If you feel you have a sleep issue, consult a local sleep expert. They can set up a sleep study for you and help you determine your risk for any other sleep or sleep deprivation health issues.

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