Snoring - Causes, Effects and Treatment

Have you ever wondered what causes snoring? Snoring has been a common sleep disorder that can affect many people. It can occur in both young and old. But, it has the propensity to worsen with age. It is more frequent in men than in women. In adults, there are about forty-five percent occasional snorers and about twenty-five percent habitual snorers.

If you want to find out more about snoring, then below are some of its causes, effects and treatment options that would help you get rid of it for good:

Causes

Snoring is a sound that is produced by the vibration of the respiratory structures, particularly when there is a blockage in the passage of air in the nose and mouth. There are a lot of factors that can cause this obstruction. These include deformities in the nose or nasal polyps, relaxed throat and tongue muscles, bulky throat tissue and presence of long soft palate or uvula. Consumption of alcohol, sleeping pills and normal aging can relax the throat and tongue muscles.

Effects of snoring

Snoring does not become a very serious problem unless it happens habitually. Occasional snoring is mostly a bother to the snorer's bed partner or roommates. However, habitual snoring can be a sign of a serious health problem such as obstructive sleep apnea. This sleep disorder can cause various problems such as interrupted breathing for more than 10 seconds while sleeping, frequent arousal from sleep, and decreased oxygen level in the blood. These can lead to snorer's poor quality of sleep every night.

Treatments

There are a lot of ways to help treat the problem. For occasional snorers, lifestyle changes will do such as losing weight, improving your eating habits, avoiding heavy meals or even snacks and drinking alcohol few hours before sleeping. Also, it helps to sleep on the side of your body rather than the back. Meanwhile, there are also a variety of stop-snoring devices that are available on the market. This includes mandibular advancement devices, as well as anti-snore chin straps.

Mandibular advancement devices are used like a mouth guard to prevent oral soft tissues from collapsing and obstructing the airway. On the other hand, anti-snore chin straps prevent the mouth from opening while sleeping. When your mouth is open while sleeping, snoring occurs since the air pressure inside the throat increases as a result of obstructed airway.

Some people may require surgery to correct anatomical problems such as nasal deformities, enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Also, a snorer may require continuous positive airway pressure, also known as CPAP, to prevent the upper oral tissues from blocking the airway during sleep. This device will also help the person to breathe better through the night.

If your snore has become more than a bother, visit your doctor and ask about anti-snore devices such as mandibular splint, also known as mandibular advancement device.

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