Snoring is a common condition that can disrupt your sleep. It happens when air doesn’t flow easily through your nose or mouth. Mild or occasional snoring is usually nothing to worry about. But chronic snoring can increase the risk of certain health conditions such as stroke and heart attack.

What is snoring?

Snoring is the hoarse or rough sound you make when air passes through the soft tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe. Almost everyone snores now and then, but for some people it can be a chronic problem. Sometimes it can also indicate a serious health condition. In addition, snoring can be very annoying for your partner.

There is also the case that it is accompanied by some moments of cessation of breathing or oxygenation, also known as apneas or hypopneas.

Is snoring normal?

Snoring is normal for many people. In fact, almost everyone snores at some point, including babies and toddlers.

But loud, restless snoring can indicate sleep apnea — a condition that causes you to stop breathing during sleep. If snoring occurs in combination with episodes of apnea (like a feeling of suffocation in your sleep) and other symptoms such as fatigue or irritability, then you should speak to a doctor who specializes in sleep apnea.

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of snoring?

The sounds of snoring vary from person to person. Snoring can sound like:

• Silent vibrations.
• Whistling.
• Snoring.
• Purring.

People who snore may also:

• Constantly tossing and turning during sleep.
• Waking up with a dry throat.
• Waking up with a sore throat . 
• Feeling tired during the day ( fatigue ).
• To have headaches.
• To feel moody or irritable.
• Have difficulty concentrating.

What causes snoring?

When you breathe, you push air through your nose, mouth and throat. A blockage in your airway can cause these tissues to vibrate against each other as air moves through:

• The crooked nasal septum.
• Hypertrophic sinuses.
• The hypertrophic growths in the nasopharynx.
• Nasal polyps.
• Nasal adhesions after nose surgery or after injury.
• Benign or malignant tumors in the nasal cavity.
• The closed nasal valve.
• Hypertrophic tonsils.
• The elongated soft palate with a large-sized cleft and hypertrophic parietal arches.
• The hypertrophic root of the tongue, that is, a large tongue.
• The epiglottis for example.
• The low attachment of the hyoid bone.
• The retrognathia, i.e. a small lower jaw (or with a small angle).

A number of different factors can cause this airway obstruction or make it worse, including:

• Age. Snoring is more common as we age because muscle tone decreases, causing our airways to constrict (shrink).
• Alcohol and sedatives . Drinks containing alcohol and some medicines relax your muscles, restricting the flow of air through your nose, mouth and throat.
• Anatomy. Enlarged adenoids, large tonsils, or a large tongue can make it difficult for air to flow through your nose and mouth. A deviated septum (when the cartilage that separates your nostrils is off-center) can also block airflow.
• Males. Snoring is more common in males.
• Family history. Snoring runs in families. If you have a biological parent who snores, you are more likely to snore too.
• General health. Nasal congestion from allergies and the common cold blocks the flow of air through your mouth and nose. Pregnant women are also more likely to snore due to hormonal changes.
• Weight. Snoring and sleep-related breathing disorders are more common in people who are overweight ( body mass index , or BMI, greater than 25) or obese (BMI greater than 30).
• Smoking .
• The alcohol.
• Excessive fatigue.
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Sleeping on the back.
• The “heavy” meals in the evening.

Diagnosis of Snoring

How do doctors diagnose Snoring?

A sleep specialist will perform a physical examination of your nose, mouth and throat. They will also ask you (and maybe even your partner or partners) lots of questions, including:

• How much often how are you?
• What does your snoring sound like?
• If you feel rested during the day?

Sleep study

If your doctor thinks you may have a sleep disorder (such as sleep apnea), he may recommend a sleep study (polysomnography ) . You can do a sleep study at home or you may need to spend the night in a sleep center or hospital.

A sleep study assesses:

• Brain wave activity.
• Breathing patterns, including any periods when you stop breathing or gasp for air.
• Heart rate and oxygen levels.
• Movements during sleep, such as arm or leg movements or tossing and turning.
• Sleep cycles and snoring.

Treatment of Snoring

How Do Doctors Treat Snoring?

Sleep Specialists use a wide range of treatments to reduce snoring. Which option is right for you depends on several factors, including the severity of your snoring, your health history, and your personal preferences.

Non-surgical snoring treatments

Non-surgical treatments for snoring focus on improving your sleeping position or opening up your airways. These treatments may include:

• Lifestyle changes . Changing your sleeping position, avoiding alcoholic beverages and maintaining a healthy weight for you can reduce snoring.
• Medicines. Cold and allergy medicines relieve nasal congestion and help you breathe freely.
• Nasal strips or devices . Wearing nasal strips (flexible strips that stick to the outside of your nose) can help keep your nasal passages open.
• Oral devices (Mouth Splint). Wearing an oral appliance when you sleep keeps your jaw in the right position so air can flow normally. The Specialized Dentist may call it a Mandibular Advancement Device or MAD. A mouth guard used for other purposes, such as sports, will not solve snoring.

Surgical treatments for snoring

Specialist Doctors can perform surgery to treat severe snoring. The goal of surgery is to shrink or remove excess tissue or correct a structural problem (such as a deviated septum). Surgical treatments may include:

• Laser Assisted Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (LAUP). LAUP reduces tissue in the soft palate and improves airflow.
• Plastic surgery of the soft palate. Also called Somnoplasty ® , this technique uses radio frequency energy to shrink excess tissue on your soft palate and tongue.
• Surgery to straighten the nasal septum and shrink the sinuses. If you have a deviated septum, your doctor may recommend a diaphragmoplasty. Septoplasty improves airflow through your nose by reshaping the cartilage and bone.
• Tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy. A surgeon removes excess tissue from the back of your throat (tonsillectomy) or the back of your nose (adenectomy).
• Shrinkage of the root of the tongue. A piece of the tongue is removed, so as to make the tongue smaller and free the pharynx .
• Reduction of grape size.

Snoring Prevention

Can I prevent snoring?

Certain lifestyle changes may help you stop or reduce snoring. Here are a few things you should try : _ _ _

• Avoid sedatives (such as zolpidem , clonazepam , and ezopiclone ) or drinks containing alcohol before bed.
• Ask your doctor about medications to relieve nasal congestion.
• Stay active, get enough exercise and maintain a healthy weight for you.
• Elevate your head while sleeping to improve airflow.
• Try sleeping on your side instead of your back.
• Buy a snore reducing pillow that keeps your head in the right position when you sleep.

Snoring Forecast

What is the prognosis for people who snore?

Occasional snoring is usually harmless. But loud, annoying or frequent snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious disorder. The long-term one flow is increasing him risk of health problems, such as:

• Reduced oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxia).
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Fatigue (feeling very tired during the day).
• Heart attack.
• High blood pressure.
• Stroke.
• Type 2 diabetes.

Living with the Snore

When should I worry about snoring?

See a GP if snoring disturbs your sleep or leads to problems such as fatigue, headaches or shortness of breath. They can do tests to see if you have sleep apnea or another type of sleep disorder.

What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor About Snoring?

If you are planning to see a GP about your snoring, you can ask a few questions:

• What makes me snore?
• Is my snoring causing serious health problems?
• Do I need treatment? If so, what kind?
• Are there lifestyle changes I can make that might reduce snoring?

Additional common questions about Snoring

How do you know if you snore?

If you live with a partner or roommate, they may already have told you that you snore. If you live alone, it can be harder to know for sure. To find out, you can get an app on your phone that records the sounds and stages of your sleep and activate it before you go to bed.

Does Snoring Mean Sleep Apnea?

Snoring does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, but there are many other reasons why people snore.

My baby snores. Should I be worried?

Snoring in babies is common and rarely indicates a serious condition. Most of the time, a stuffy nose causes it. But if it continues and won’t stop, you should schedule a visit with your baby’s pediatrician or a Sleep Specialist. They can find out why your baby is snoring and if it needs treatment.

It is very important for their health that babies and children do not snore.