Snoring Can Turn Life-Threatening, Raise Heart Attack Risk: Meerut Medical College Doctors Successfully Treat 10-Year-Old

Meerut: What many dismiss as a harmless habit or even a subject of jokes, snoring can sometimes become a serious medical warning sign, capable of putting extreme strain on the heart and increasing the risk of cardiac complications, doctors at Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut have cautioned.

Under the leadership of Principal Dr R.C. Gupta, the medical college continues to register significant clinical achievements. In a recent case, a 10-year-old patient, Ahil (son of Ameer), was successfully treated after months of severe sleep-related breathing issues that had begun impacting his heart.

Child suffered breathing pauses during sleep

According to hospital sources, the child had been struggling for the past 6–8 months, having been admitted to multiple private institutions as well as Lala Lajpat Rai Medical College earlier. He reportedly faced difficulty sleeping at night, with episodes where his breathing would stop during sleep, forcing him to wake up suddenly and sit upright repeatedly.

Due to the severity of the symptoms, the child was admitted to the Paediatrics Department for further evaluation and treatment.

Heart valve damage detected

Doctors said the child’s persistent breathing obstruction led to oxygen deprivation and strain on the heart, eventually affecting his cardiac health. An echocardiography examination revealed Tricuspid Regurgitation, indicating damage and improper functioning of a heart valve.

The patient was admitted under the supervision of Dr Manish Tomar, Paediatric Cardiologist.

Repeated ventilator support failed to resolve the issue

Hospital officials stated that the child had been visiting repeatedly for nearly one year, and on several occasions required ventilator support. However, each time he was removed from the breathing machine, the symptoms would recur.

A team of specialists later diagnosed the root cause as severely enlarged tonsils and adenoids (tissue located behind the nasal cavity), which had narrowed the child’s airway to the point that he could not breathe properly during sleep.

Despite multiple medications and repeated respiratory interventions, the condition did not improve.

Successful surgery brings complete recovery

Following the diagnosis, Dr Tomar consulted Dr Nikunj Jain, ENT specialist, who counselled the parents about the risks and advised an adenotonsillectomy surgery.

The surgery was successfully performed by a multi-disciplinary team comprising:

• Dr Manish Tomar’s Paediatric Cardiology team
• Dr Nikunj Jain’s ENT team, including Senior Resident Dr Deepankar Malik, Dr Roopam, and Dr Arpit
• Full support from the Anaesthesia Department, led by Dr Yogesh Manik and Dr Pramod Chandra and their team

Post-surgery, the child has reportedly made a full recovery. He is now sleeping comfortably, no longer waking up abruptly, and does not require ventilator support. The child’s parents expressed gratitude to the medical college for the successful treatment.

Doctors warn: Don’t ignore snoring

Principal Dr R.C. Gupta congratulated the teams involved for the successful outcome.

Dr Nikunj Jain explained that such conditions can affect children as well as adults, and snoring should not be ignored as it often signals that the airway is not fully open. This prevents adequate oxygen from reaching the lungs, forcing the heart to pump harder—thereby increasing strain and potentially raising the risk of heart attack.

Doctors advised people experiencing frequent snoring or sleep-related breathing difficulties to consult an ENT specialist at the earliest.