Snoring
Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing the tissue to vibrate. It’s normal for individuals to snore occasionally, but chronic snoring may indicate a medical condition.
Concerning Symptoms
Snoring that is accompanied by any of the following symptoms may indicate a sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA):
In children, signs include behavioral issues, poor attention span, and poor performance in school.
Individuals with OSA experience episodes in which breathing stops or nearly stops. The individual may then suddenly awaken with a loud snort or gasping sound and resume breathing. These slight awakenings disrupt sleep and may occur many times during the night.
Left untreated, snoring may lead to the following complications:
- Frequent irritability or anger
- Increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke and other heart conditions
- Increased risk of behavior problems, such as aggression
- Increased risk of learning problems in children
- Increased risk of motor vehicle accidents or workplace accidents due to lack of sleep
Causes of Snoring
Individuals may snore for a variety of reasons. When the body is progressing from a light sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the tongue, throat and soft palate relax. This relaxation may partially block the airway and cause vibration that results in snoring.
Snoring may also be caused by:
- A low, thick soft palate that narrows the airway
- Extra tissue in the back of the throat
- An elongated soft palate
- Heavy alcohol consumption before going to sleep (this causes the throat muscles to relax)
- Chronic nasal congestion
- Deviated nasal septum
- Sleep deprivation
- Sleeping on the back
During a visit to the doctor’s office, the physician will review the patient’s symptoms and medical history. The physician may also ask the patient’s partner or parent (in the case of a child) about the patient’s snoring patterns. An imaging test, such as an X-ray, CT scan or MRI may be performed to help identify structural problems, such as a deviated septum. Patients with severe snoring symptoms may need to participate in a sleep study, also called a polysomnography. Patients will typically need to spend one night at a sleep center, where their sleep and breathing will be analyzed. The sleep study will record the patient’s brain waves, sleep stages, heart rate, blood oxygen level, breathing rate and eye and leg movements.
Risk Factors
The following factors may increase an individual’s risk of snoring:
The physician may recommend making a few lifestyle changes, such as treating nasal congestion, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime, losing weight, avoiding sleeping on the back and prioritizing sleep to avoid sleep deprivation. Patients diagnosed with OSA may benefit from using an oral appliance or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask. Patients with severe OSA may need to undergo upper airway surgery to open up the upper airway.