Many of us are familiar with snoring. We have either been told that we snore or have been bothered (even woken up) by unpleasant sounds during the night. Snoring is caused when the muscles and tissue in the mouth, including the soft palate and the throat, relax, narrowing the throat. This restricts the airflow through the windpipe and causes the tissue in the throat to vibrate, producing the sound of snoring.
Snoring can be mild or loud, depending on how relaxed the muscles are and how narrow the airways are. When the throat narrows due to muscle relaxation and the backward sliding of the tongue, it can lead to airway obstruction. Snoring can range from an infrequent occurrence to a symptom of a serious underlying health issue. Identifying the symptoms, understanding how snoring impacts sleep, and knowing when to seek treatment are essential.
Causes & Symptoms: Tissues in Your Throat
There is a wide range of factors that can cause snoring. The most common causes include:
- Anatomy: airways can be narrowed by the structure and features of the nose, mouth, and throat. Anatomical characteristics include a deviated nasal septum, enlarged tonsils, abnormally low roof of mouth, etc. During the transition from light sleep to deep sleep, the throat muscles and tissues in your throat relax, and the throat narrows, which can lead to airway obstruction and increased snoring.
- Sleep Position: specific ways we sleep can impact the mouth and throat. Most notably, sleeping on your back, which can lead the mouth to open and the muscles to relax, can cause snoring.
- Alcohol contains active ingredients that relax throat muscles, so consuming alcohol during the evening can trigger snoring.
- Obesity: having excess tissue in and around the neck area and throat can construct airways as well.
- Aging: As adults age, changes to tissues and bones can cause weakening or relaxation of muscles, which can contribute to snoring.
Snoring can disrupt sleep and cause fatigue. People who snore are often unaware that they do, and their snoring impacts the people around them, particularly their partners. However, chronic snoring can be a symptom of a health issue, along with other more urgent symptoms.
Snoring & Obstructive Sleep Apnea
One in two people who snore also have a sleep disorder. According to the National Sleep Foundation, 50% of people who experience snoring regularly do so because they have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by intermittent breathing during sleep. One’s breathing briefly stops, recurring throughout the night. This causes:
- Lack of sleep, which leads to exhaustion the following day
- Difficulty focusing and concentrating during meetings, conversations, and other tasks
- Headaches upon waking up
- Gasping or choking for air at night
- Snoring that is more aggressive and disruptive
Complications of Snoring
Snoring can lead to several complications, some of which are pretty serious. Chronic snoring can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If left untreated, snoring can also lead to cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and an increased risk of accidents and injuries due to daytime fatigue. Additionally, snoring can disrupt the sleep patterns of those close to the snorer, leading to health problems such as headaches and persistent tiredness. Addressing snoring is not just about improving sleep quality but also about preventing these potential health risks.
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is essential to seek medical attention:
- Loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops
- Periods of breathing pauses that may be repeated many times during the night
- Sleeping lightly due to disrupted sleep
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Morning headaches
- Recent weight gain
- Waking up in the morning not feeling rested
- Waking up at night feeling confused
- Changes in your level of attention, concentration, or memory
These symptoms can indicate a serious health issue, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and should not be ignored. Consulting with a healthcare provider can help determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.
Treatment
Typically, a doctor will conduct a physical examination, inspect your mouth, throat, airways, etc., and refer you to a specialist who can further assess your sleeping pattern. A sleep specialist will likely monitor your sleep, explicitly examining how your snoring impacts the kind of sleep you are getting. This test can determine your sleep disorder and inform you of the most effective treatment options. Treatment can include:
- Adjusting Lifestyle: A doctor is likely to recommend first making changes to your Lifestyle, explicitly targeting the things that can trigger snoring. These include limiting alcohol consumption, losing weight, not sleeping on your back, and taking medications to treat allergies. These changes can help stop snoring by addressing its root causes and improving overall sleep quality.
- Using Oral Appliance: a dental mouthpiece molded to your mouth that keeps the jaw, tongue, and mouth correctly in place, preventing the muscles from relaxing in a way that causes them to collapse.
- CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. It involves wearing a mask over the nose, which releases pressurized air into the throat through the attached air pump. The air pump typically stands next to one’s bed.
- Surgery: there are a few surgical procedures that can alleviate snoring. Options include removing tissue from the throat, moving the jaw forward, correcting a deviated septum, etc.
If your snoring is acute and you can identify with the previously described symptoms, you should schedule an appointment with us at Enticare as soon as possible!
Conclusion
Snoring is a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. While it can be a nuisance, it can also be a sign of a more serious health issue, such as obstructive sleep apnea. Understanding the causes of snoring and taking steps to prevent it can reduce your risk of developing sleep disorders and improve your overall health. If you are concerned about your snoring, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional to rule out any underlying health issues. With the proper treatment and lifestyle changes, you can stop snoring and get a good night’s sleep.