Everyone knows someone who either complains about another person snoring or does it themselves. This widespread sleeping issue affects as many as 45% of people on occasion and 25% on a routine basis. Typically, this irritating noise happens between 50 and 65 decibels, affecting men more often than women, with 40% compared to 24% between the sexes.
Still, that doesn’t address why people snore at all, much less when the problem becomes severe enough to warrant medical intervention. To find out more, let’s explore the reasons snoring happens, the risk factors that contribute to it, and when a trip to your doctor is necessary.
To manage snoring and other sleep-related issues, Drs. Wade Han and Elvira Livigni De Armas, along with the medical team at Florida Ear Nose Throat & Plastic Surgery Center, are here to assist residents of Orlando and Kissimmee, Florida.
This noise occurs because of a problem in your airways that prevents air from passing through the nose or mouth effortlessly. Blockages in the nasal or oral passageways, specifically the soft palate, tonsils, tongue, and adenoids, cause vibrations that create the unpleasant sounds during slumber.
It can sound like a grumbling, rattling, whistling, rumbling, or snorting noise you make when asleep, and in many people of all ages, it’s a regular event. It also frequently occurs with other sleep issues, such as tossing and turning, as well as waking up with headaches, a dry or sore throat, irritability, fatigue, and problems focusing.
The reasons people snore vary, with many factors, including how loud the snoring is, whether it happens all the time or only once in a while. Smoking, drinking alcohol before going to sleep, excess fatigue, your sleeping position (on your back), and sleeping medications all often lead to snoring.
Conditions like sleep apnea and sinus problems from upper respiratory illnesses also cause it. Other factors that increase the risk of snoring include obesity, structural abnormalities of the nose or mouth, hormonal changes, genetic diseases, and endocrine disorders.
Sleep apnea frequently causes snoring and reduces airflow to less than 90% while sleeping. It definitely needs medical treatment as chronic snoring issues from it can lead to several complications, like hypertension, daytime fatigue, concentration problems, heart disease, stroke, and driving hazards due to exhaustion.
To manage chronic snoring, a combination of lifestyle changes, auto servo-ventilation devices, and surgical treatments can help. Avoiding alcohol before bed and losing weight can help alleviate mild snoring and sleep apnea. Specialized mouthguards and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are also often used for regulating breathing during rest.
Regardless of why you’re snoring, if it's accompanied by many of the other symptoms mentioned here, other medical conditions, including sleep apnea, may be causing it. Schedule an appointment with Drs. Han, Livigni De Armas, and the Florida Ear Nose Throat & Plastic Surgery Center team to find ways to get better rest.
