London (PTI): Most couples know that a snoring partner can be a source of irritation. A research now suggests that it can also be damaging for people's health. Statistics on snoring are often contradictory, but at least 30 per cent of adults and perhaps as many as 50 per cent of people in some demographics snore.

Snoring is known to cause sleep deprivation to both the snorer and those who hear him/her, as well as knock-on effects: daytime drowsiness, irritability, lack of focus, decreased libido. It has also been suggested that it can cause significant psychological and social damage to sufferers.

Now a study of the effect of noise on sleep at London's Imperial College has reported that a snoring partner can raise ones blood pressure by as much as a low-flying aircraft or a lorry reversing. "We know that noise from air traffic can be a source of irritation, but our research shows that it can also be damaging for people's health," said Lars Jarup, the author of the study.

Researchers who monitored 140 volunteers near London's Heathrow and three other European airports found the noises penetrating the bedroom had the same effect as those emanating from the neighbouring pillow, The Independent daily of Britain reported.

The study published in the European Heart Journal said blood pressure went up in direct relation to noise loudness, by 0.66 mm Hg for every five-decibel increase. The type of sound or its origin did not appear to be important. It was only the volume that mattered.