Snoring: What Should We Know About It?

Snoring is sounds that are produced in the nose and throat during sleep. Often times, they don’t annoy the person issuing them, but rather their bed or roommates. Therefore, they can have social consequences.

As we well know, snoring is not voluntary, that is, the person does not choose to emit it. In reality, you may not realize that you are doing it when resting. Especially when they are light. Therefore, a person may not know that they snore, unless someone else tells them.

However, there are cases in which snoring can be due to an underlying disease such  as obesity, chronic nasal congestion or various respiratory disorders, according to various studies.

Before taking the drastic solution of sleeping in separate rooms, it is necessary to know a little more about snoring and to assess whether the person who snores may need to visit their GP for an evaluation.

Why does snoring occur?

40% of men and 20% of women snore regularly. Although many think that snoring is nothing more than a nuisance, it is important to know that it can have health implications.

Snoring occurs because air does not reach the lungs well due to obstructions in the respiratory system, usually in the mouth and nose. The air vibrates in that area, generating that annoying sound.

Snoring can affect your night’s rest, so it is normal to feel tired the next day. In addition, in the most severe cases it can lead to sleep apneas, moments in which you stop breathing briefly. According to various investigations, this can be very dangerous.

Possible causes of snoring

• Overweight and obesity : one of the most common causes. Due to the pressure exerted by the extra weight, the diaphragm, the muscle responsible for breathing, cannot perform its function properly.

• Tobacco and alcohol : tobacco affects the respiratory tract, so it does not facilitate the clean passage of air. Alcohol causes muscles to relax, and causes the tongue and palate to fall back, obstructing the passage of air.
• Sinusitis and other respiratory diseases : any disease that affects the respiratory system and prevents the passage of air can cause snoring.
• Sleeping on your back : this is the most conducive position to hinder the work of the diaphragm and make it easier for the tongue and palate to fall backwards; in other words, the position most conducive to snoring.

What can we do?

If snoring is habitual and loud, it is advisable to go to a specialist, who could request a respiratory consultation or an analysis of the quality of sleep.

A speech therapist can also tell us how to do exercises to improve breathing. We can practice these exercises and use nasal strips at night to open the airways.

For our part, we can avoid the causes that cause snoring: avoid alcohol, tobacco, sleeping on your side and exercising to prevent being overweight.