A Chinese teen talked this week about the terrible ordeal he suffered after being attacked by a roommate for snoring. The 15-year-old boy had been warned not to snore, then was awakened at night with a blow to the head. He was diagnosed with a fractured skull and loss of hearing in one ear. He has undergone numerous medical procedures, incurring major costs that his family cannot afford, and missing time in class.
Boarding School with Little Tolerance
The student, Ma Guorui, was in boarding school at an advanced Middle School that feeds into Yan’an University. He said he was warned by one of the 12 pupils who shared his room not to snore. Then on the night of April 17, he says he was awakened by a hard, painful smack on the head by the pupil who warned him. He tried to return to sleep, but was unable to sleep much. He threw up twice in the night and could not go to class the next day.
When the school contacted Ma’s mother about his illness, she came and took him home. Ma’s father reports that Ma lacked energy and wanted to sleep when he got home. On April 19, the family took Ma to the hospital and reported the attack to police.
A CT scan showed that Ma’s temporal bone was fractured. It was also discovered that he could not hear in his left ear. His treatment required a craniotomy–in which a flap of the skull is removed to reach the brain. Treatment costs were reported at about 150,000 yuan, around $22,500. Although the school covered about two-thirds of the treatment cost, the family says they cannot afford the remainder, which is about 1.5 times the average annual salary in China.
The police are investigating the incident, but it’s unclear what legal remedies remain for the parents of the injured boy in this case.
Snoring Can Lead to Violence
Although this case is one of the more severe examples, it’s neither the first nor the last time we will see snoring-related violence. Wives stab their husbands over snoring. Roommates sometimes attack each other over snoring. Other times, even a nonviolent solution like banishing a roommate to the balcony can lead to snoring-related injuries. Snoring can cause violence partly because it deprives people of sleep, making them less able to respond logically to the situation.
Before this happens to you, it’s important to take warning about snoring seriously and consider treatment options. At the Advanced Dental Sleep Treatment Center, we offer highly effective, comfortable, and convenient snoring treatment that can help you avoid the violent repercussions of your noisy sleep disordered breathing.
To learn how our snoring treatments can help you, please call (402) 493-4175 for an appointment with an Omaha sleep dentist.
