In itself snoring can be sleep problem, but it is often an indicator of another, more serious sleep disorder
Overview of Snoring
While often regarded as just an annoyance by either the sufferer or their bed partner, snoring can not only cause significant sleep disturbance but also is often an indicator of an underlying, more serious sleep disorder – sleep apnea. Scientific studies suggest that between a quarter and a third of men regularly snore loudly, with the prevalence being a little lower in women.
Symptoms of Snoring
The loud snoring causes the sufferer or bed partner to frequently awaken and for quality of sleep to be lower. This results in daytime sleepiness and other symptoms associated with poor sleep.
Causes of Snoring
Snoring occurs because of a vibration of air as it passes over structures in the throat and mouth. The narrower the airway becomes the louder the snoring becomes. Reasons for this narrowing include:
Decreased muscle tone. Muscle tone decreases as we age, allowing the sides of the throat to close together and the tongue to fall backward into the airway.
Obesity. Being overweight often contributes to snoring, since excess fat in the neck area reduces the width of the air passage.
Congestion. Your nasal passages become inflamed as a response to a cold or allergies, narrowing the air passage and forcing you to inhale even harder to get air into your lungs. Congestion also can occur when you breathe in excessively dry air at night; the mucus in your nose and throat thickens, limiting airflow.
Anatomical abnormalities. Anything that causes airway narrowing can lead to snoring. Examples include:
In the nose, for example, the septum (a three—inch—long partition of bone and cartilage) is often crooked from birth or as the result of blunt trauma during childhood or adulthood.
The nasal valve—the firm tissue surrounding the passageway in the middle third of your nose that collapses inward slightly when you take deep breath—may be narrower than normal, making it for inhaled air to get by.
In the mouth and throat, the tongue, uvula (the tissue that hangs down in the back of your throat), and adenoids (a lump of tissue at the back the nose that contains cells designed to fight infection) become enlarged and narrow the airway.
The soft palate, muscular flap between the nose and mouth that directs and air during swallowing or speaking, may become elongated, narrowing the opening from the nose into the throat.
A very small or narrow jaw also may contribute snoring.
Alcohol and drugs. Alcohol and certain prescription medications—such as sedatives for insomnia and anxiety muscle relaxants for back pain and arthritis—can cause the throat muscles to relax more than usual, resulting in a narrow airway and causing or worsening snoring.
Treatment for Snoring
There are numerous treatments for snoring that do not entail surgery:
Lifestyle changes. If you’re significantly overweight, losing weight often eliminates snoring, since it reduces the amount of fatty tissue in the neck and throat. Quitting smoking, foregoing alcohol in the evening, and avoiding sleeping pills and muscle relaxants may also help.
Home solutions. If you snore only when lying on your back, sewing a tennis or golf ball into the back of your pajamas will prod you to sleep on your side. Another simple solution that helps some snorers is to elevate your head by propping up one end of the bed a few inches. (Extra pillows alone don’t provide sufficient support to accomplish this.)
Store products. If congestion is the problem, a humidifier placed on your nightstand may help. Humidifiers tend to make a difference if you live in a hot, desert climate (where the air is naturally dry) or a cold climate (where the indoor air is artificially dry because the heating system produces “dry heat”).
If your snoring results from a narrowed nasal valve, nasal strips or mechanical dilators may work. Nasal strips, which you’ve probably seen worn by professional athletes, consist of two flat parallel bands of plastic embedded in a special adhesive pad. ‘When placed across the nose, the bands lift the skin upward and outward, pulling open the flexible cartilage walls and widening the nasal valve. Mechanical dilators, usually made of plastic, are inserted just inside the nostril and push outward. Patients whose snoring originates from the mouth and throat won’t benefit from these devices.
Medication. If a humidifier doesn’t help, snoring caused by congestion may be relieved by a prescription nasal steroid spray such as fluticasone (Flonase), mometasone (Nasonex), or budesonide (Rhinocort) used daily. Avoid over-the-counter spray decongestants (Afrin, Dristan, Neo— Synephrine); their effect diminishes after a few days, excessive use can damage the lining of the nose, and it’s easy to become dependent on them.
Dental devices. There are more than forty devices currently on the market, which fall into two general categories: mandibular (lower jaw) advancing devices or tongue retaining devices. The mandibular advancing devices are used most often. They attach to the upper jaw and force the lower jaw forward, pulling the base of the tongue with it and opening up the airway. The tongue retaining devices use a suction ball at the front of the mouth to hold the tongue forward and open the airway. Dental devices, which are available from dentists, are often effective when worn every night. However, some people find them uncomfortable and discontinue use.
Consequences of Not Treating Snoring
The most typical health problem snoring causes is loss of sleep for both the person snoring and his (or her) sleep partner. The snoring noise combined with tossing and turning often keep both people from sleeping soundly. Sleep deprivation has significant consequences: excessive sleepiness, irritability, and lack of productivity during the day, as well as negative health repercussions.
Heavy snoring is a good indicator of the possibility of obstructive sleep apnea – where the airway completely closes, stopping breathing until the person wakes up. This can occur hundreds of times a night. The health and sleep consequences of this are significant and are reason enough to talk to your doctor about heavy snoring.
