Can breathing difficulty cause someone to snore?

Question

Hi doctor,

My father is suffering from breathing difficulty and snoring. Furthermore, he has swelling in his eyes, spine, and abdomen. Are there any tests we need to do?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Consult an ENT physician (ear, nose, and throat) or a sleep apnea specialist to determine the cause of snoring. Possible causes include nasal polyps (soft, painless, noncancerous growths on the lining of your nasal passages or sinuses) and septal defects. First and foremost, he requires a thyroid profile test for the swelling of his eyes. I advise him to do a few more tests for the swelling of the abdomen.

CBC (complete blood count) with ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and differential count, and HBsAg ELISA (Hepatitis B surface antigen)(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).

Along with Anti HCV ELISA (hepatitis C virus)(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Also, LFTs (liver function tests) and RFTs (renal function tests) must be done. Please follow up once you have received the lab reports. Include images of the abdomen, eyes, outside of the nose, and below the nasal openings.

I hope you are satisfied with my answer. For further queries, you can consult me at icliniq.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

I have reviewed the reports (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity). It indicates that he is at low to no risk for heart disease, and he needs physical activity and weight loss to keep his weight within limits. This will also keep his serum cholesterol and lipids within normal ranges. The level of cholesterol is not within normal ranges.

Therefore, controlling his eating habits and performing physical activities are essential. Also, could you please tell me his blood pressure reading? It is necessary to have normal blood pressure when a patient has heart-related disease factors. He is deficient in vitamin D and B12.

Therefore, he needs to spend 15 to 20 min in direct sunlight daily. Please ask him to wear sunscreen lotion (SPF 60) and sunglasses. After eight weeks, you must repeat his vitamin D and B12 test and upload the reports in follow-up. In addition, a fasting lipid profile test after eight weeks is required for further assessments. He needs to be screened for diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease.

I hope this has helped you.

Thank you.