Mark Gleeson was just 26 when he died by accident in his sleep
A British man sadly died after he inserted tampons up his nose in a bid to try and stop snoring.
Mark Gleeson passed away at just 26 years old after he took a trip to the doctors to see if there was anything that could be done about his snoring.
The issue began after Mark got into a road accident, which led to him developing sinus problems.
His snoring was so bad that his mom Vera said that the family ‘used to treat it as a joke at home’, but when he visited the doctor, he was allegedly told there was ‘not a lot they [could] do about it’.
After returning from his trip to the doctor, Mark spoke with his girlfriend, Tracey Lambert, about how he might be able to stop snoring.
The pair discussed using tampons to block Mark’s nose to stem the noise, but the idea turned fatal when he fell asleep with the products up his nose.
At an inquest which took place after his death in January 1996, Tracey said that she and Mark had discussed him using tampons on the night before he died, The Herald reported at the time.
He drank some wine and took a few sleeping tablets, and Tracey left him asleep on the sofa at her home in Surrey, England.
When she came back into the room, she found Mark dead with the tampons up his nose.
“It just happened,” she said at the inquest. “The conversation just came up about the snoring and we both agreed that was what he would do.”
When looking in to Mark’s death, pathologist Dr Peter Jackson said that it was caused by asphyxiation due in part to the tampons, and that the sleeping tablets would also have added to his breathing difficulties.
Coroner Michael Burgess ruled Mark’s death was accidental.
Snoring is often associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea – something Apple is hoping to help identify with its new Apple Watch Series 10 – which can be further evaluated by doctors.
Men are more likely to snore or have sleep apnea than women, and the Mayo Clinic states that doctors may be able to recommend a number of lifestyle changes to treat snoring.
Options include losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime, treating nasal congestion and avoiding sleeping on your back.
There are also medical devices and surgery available for people who snore, however, the clinic notes that these may not be suitable or necessary for everyone.
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