A closer look at what snoring is as well as its causes, consequences, and treatments
Key Takeaways:
- The vibration of relaxed throat tissues during sleep causes snoring.
- Pregnancy, weight gain, sedative medications, and congestion can contribute to snoring.
- Snoring related to sleep apnea is often accompanied by other symptoms, like gasping for air and daytime fatigue.
- Snoring solutions include lifestyle changes, orthopedic pillow, mouthpieces, and PAP therapy.
Snoring is a widespread issue, but its severity and health implications can vary. Snoring can be light, occasional, and unconcerning, or it may be the sign of a serious underlying sleep-related breathing disorder. More than a quarter of adults experience snoring on a regular basis.
Knowing the basics about snoring, including what causes it, when it is dangerous, and how to treat it, can facilitate better health and eliminate a common cause of sleep complaints.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is caused by the rattling and vibration of tissues near the airway in the back of the throat. During sleep, the muscles loosen, narrowing the airway. As a person inhales and exhales, the moving air causes the tissue to flutter and make noise.
Some people are more prone to snoring because of the size and shape of the muscles and tissues in their neck. In other cases, excess relaxing of the tissue or narrowing of the airway can lead to snoring. Examples of risk factors that contribute to a higher risk of snoring include:
- Wrong Sleeping posture
- Obesity
- Alcohol consumption
- Use of sedative medications
- Chronic nasal congestion
- Large tonsils, tongue, or soft palate
- Deviated septum or nasal polyps
- Jaw that is small or set back
- Pregnancy
Is Snoring Dangerous?
Whether snoring is dangerous depends on its type, severity, and frequency.
- Light snoring: Light, infrequent snoring is normal and does not typically require medical testing or treatment. Its main impact is on a bed partner or roommate who may be bothered by the occasional noise.
- Primary snoring: Primary snoring occurs more than three nights per week. Because of its frequency, it is more disruptive to bed partners. However, it is not usually seen as a health concern unless there are signs of sleep disruptions or sleep apnea, in which case diagnostic tests may be necessary.
- Snoring related to obstructive sleep apnea: OSA-associated snoring is more worrisome from a health perspective. If OSA goes untreated, it can have major implications for a person’s sleep and overall health. Unchecked OSA is associated with dangerous daytime drowsiness, and serious health conditions including cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and depression.
