Snoring is noisy breathing when sleeping, which is a hoarse, harsh sound that occurs when relaxed throat tissues vibrate in response to the flow of air through them with each breath while you sleep. Occasionally, after a stressful day, or due to allergies and colds, according to the website “Health“.
Causes of snoring
The narrowing of the airways at different levels (from the nose to the throat) is one of the basic defects inherent in a person who snores chronically, and this can occur due to several reasons such as..
Nasal turbinate enlargement
– deviated nasal septum
Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
Improper jawbone position
Weakness in the muscles of the throat and tongue
– Tongue big
Increased fat deposition in the neck tissues in general
Individuals who are overweight/obese.
In addition, sleep deprivation may cause the throat muscles to relax excessively and collapse during sleep, leading to snoring.
You should visit a doctor if the snoring affects you or your partner’s sleep,
or the snoring is accompanied by excessive daytime sleepiness, heaviness in the head or headache, difficulty concentrating, especially in children, or sleep disturbance.
Diagnosis
To diagnose your condition, your doctor will review your signs and symptoms, and your medical history. Your doctor will also perform a physical examination.
Your doctor may ask your partner some questions about when and how you snore to help assess the severity of the problem. If your child snores, you’ll be asked about the severity of your child’s snoring.
Imaging
Your doctor may request an imaging test, such as an X-ray, a computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging. These tests check the structure of your airway for problems, such as a deviated septum.
Sleep study
Depending on the severity of your snoring and other symptoms, your doctor may want to conduct a sleep study. Sleep studies may sometimes be done at home.
However, depending upon your other medical problems and other sleep symptoms, you may need to stay overnight at a sleep center to undergo an in-depth analysis of your breathing during sleep by a study, called a polysomnography.
In a polysomnography, you’re connected to many sensors and observed overnight. During the sleep study, the following information is recorded:
Brain waves
Blood oxygen level
Heart rate
Breathing rate
Sleep stages
Eye and leg movements
How to stop snoring
Detailed history and clinical examination of the airways, which may include an endoscopic evaluation of the nose and throat, imaging tests such as CT scans (for nasal problems), polysomnography and
other steps taken to assess the cause of snoring and rule out obstructive sleep apnea.
Polysomnography (performed at home/lab/hospital), also called polysomnography, where the device monitors your sleep and measures parameters such as heart rate, number of episodes of apnea, breathing, etc.
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Treatment usually revolves around the underlying cause ensuring lifestyle modifications such as..
– Weight loss
Regular exercise
Sleeping on your side
Raise the head of your bed
These measures may usually be sufficient once all other dangerous causes have been ruled out.
Surgical correction of narrowed airways, using oral and nasal devices (such as nasal strips) that
keep the airway open and CPAP Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is another option available.
What are the complications of snoring?
Chronic snoring can lead to other problems such as sleep apnea, daytime sleepiness,
difficulty concentrating, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, behavior problems in children and even traffic accidents due to lack of proper sleep.