Everyone is familiar with the annoying rasping sound we call snoring. Although snoring itself is not usually harmful, it can cause serious problems for the snorer’s partner who often cannot sleep. It is important to eliminate snoring so everyone can get a restful night's sleep and maintain good health.
Who Snores?
Close to 40 percent of adults over the age of 40 snore. The condition affects men and women of all age groups. The likelihood of a person snoring increases with age. Approximately 20 percent of men and five percent of women between the ages of 30 and 35 snore. By the sixth decade of life, 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women snore.
Snoring is also common in childhood. Between three and 12 percent of children snore as a result of being overweight, having allergies or other causes of nasal obstruction, or having enlarged adenoids and/or tonsils.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring arises when part of the airway becomes blocked or constricted during sleep. This blockage inhibits normal, easy breathing. As air is drawn into the air passage through the nose, the tissues vibrate, causing the characteristic noise known as snoring.
Narrowing of the nasal passage itself usually gives rise to a whistle-like snore. The vibration of the soft palate (or roof of the mouth) causes the deeper, rasping sounds. Vibration of the soft palate may be caused by constriction of the nasal passage, causing irregular or turbulent air flow. Sometimes, the tongue may fall back into the airway, narrowing or temporarily blocking it. This may also produce a snoring sound.
A number of factors can cause a person to snore. These include alcohol consumption, smoking, a blocked nose, sinusitis, a large uvula, enlarged tonsils, deformities in the nasal pathway, and excess body weight. Certain medications may also cause snoring, including sleeping pills and cough remedies containing dextromethorphan.
Can Snoring Harm You?
Although the act of snoring is not in itself harmful, snoring can contribute to morning tiredness and fatigue. This can create risks when driving and when working in an occupation where tiredness can impact safety.
Snoring can also be a symptom of other diseases/conditions such as the common cold, allergies and overweight. Occasionally, it is associated with a more serious sleep disorder known as sleep apnea.
What is Sleep Apnea?
The word apnea is Greek for “without breath.” There are three kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea is a combination of the two conditions.
People with sleep apnea have severely disturbed sleep patterns, since the brain causes them to wake in order to resume breathing. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. The condition can also impact memory, and cause weight gain, impotency, and headaches.