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Chronic Snoring Causes And Treatment

Snoring is a harsh sound that can occur when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing these tissues to vibrate. Almost everyone has experienced snoring occasionally, but for some people it can be a chronic problem or a sign of a more serious health condition. Long term snoring leads to disrupted sleep patterns of those close to you, as well as poor sleep quality for yourself.

Causes Of Snoring

Snoring occurs when the flow of air through your mouth and nose are blocked, which can be caused by a variety of different factors. Blocked nasal airways can contribute to snoring, such as during a sinus infection or allergy season. Problems in your nose can also be a factor, such as a deviated septum or nasal polyps. Poor muscle tone in your throat and tongue can also lead to snoring, since if they are too relaxed, they may collapse into your airway.

Bulky throat tissue and a long soft palate or uvula can cause snoring as well, since these issues narrow the opening from your nose to your throat. When you breathe, they will vibrate and bump against each other, which results in a blocked airway.

Relaxed throat muscle is a common cause of snoring, which can be due to drinking alcohol, taking muscle relaxers, or even sleep deprivation. In addition, snoring can be caused by your sleep position, as sleeping on your back can be a factor. An easy method to reduce snoring is to sleep on your side.

A sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause chronic snoring as well. If this is the case for you, consider seeing your doctor, as sleep apnea can lead to other health issues including interrupted sleep, cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure and diabetes, depression, and strokes.

Risk Factors For Snoring

Your gender may contribute to your risk of snoring, as men are more likely to snore or develop sleep apnea than women. A narrow airway, associated with issues in your mouth anatomy, increases your likelihood of snoring as well, as this creates difficulty for the airway to open. This also holds true for nasal problems such as the deviated septum.

Pregnancy, obesity, and a small jaw are all risk factors that relate to issues with snoring. Chronic congestion and a family history of sleep apnea are also common risk factors associated with snoring or developing OSA yourself. Chronic snoring can cause complications in your daily life, such as fatigue and irritability, and may be an indicator of OSA.

Symptoms Of Snoring

If you experience snoring infrequently, chances are low that it could indicate something more serious. However, if you experience chronic snoring along with other symptoms of sleep apnea, it may be time to get checked. These symptoms include breathing pauses during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, frequent headaches, and a sore throat in the morning.

You may also experience restless sleep, as snoring can affect your ability to stay asleep or enter a deep sleep. Other symptoms associated with snoring include gasping or choking at night, high blood pressure, chest pain when resting, and disrupting your partner’s sleep as well as your own.

Snoring, especially if caused by sleep apnea, can disrupt your circadian rhythm and cause poor sleep quality, which may lead to sleep deprivation that begins the cycle over again. OSA is often recognized by a period of loud snoring followed by periods of silence where breathing stops or almost stops. This might cause you to wake up, thereby disrupting your sleep pattern.

Diagnosing Chronic Snoring

If your partner tells you that you are snoring or you suspect you may have sleep apnea, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor will conduct a physical exam to determine if anything is possibly blocking your airways, and they may run some other tests as well.

An imaging test, such as an MRI, X-ray, or CT scan can be used to find problems in your airways. A sleep study (also called polysomnography) may be conducted, in which a machine monitors you while sleep, measuring your heart rate, breathing, and brain activity. This can be conducted at the sleep center or they can instruct you on how to do it at home.

Treatment To Stop Snoring

Snoring can be treated by lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, quitting cigarettes, or reducing alcohol consumption, especially before bed. You may also be given an oral appliance, which is a small plastic device to put in your mouth while sleeping. This will keep your airways open by moving your jaw or tongue.

If necessary, you may be recommended to undergo surgery. There are several procedures that can treat snoring issues, such as removing or shrinking tissues in your throat, or making your soft palate stiffer. If your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, your doctor may tell you to get a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. A CPAP can reduce snoring by blowing air into your upper airway as you are sleeping.

How Gwinnett Sleep Can Help

Gwinnett Sleep offers services that can help diagnose other sleep disorders that may be causing chronic snoring. We provide consultations, conduct sleep studies, and offer a CPAP clinic. If you suspect that you may have chronic snoring, you should get tested for sleep apnea as well. Learn more about our services here, or schedule an appointment to talk to our doctors.

FAQ's

The dreaded “S” word – snoring. We all know someone who does it because snoring is more common than you think. Whether it’s your partner, kids, parents, or yourself, snoring is annoying and keeps people awake and frustrated. Snoring can be a nuisance for the person who is snoring and the person who is trying to sleep next to them. However, sometimes snoring is more than a nuisance and indicates a chronic condition that needs treatment. Luckily, there are some things you can do to help reduce or stop snoring altogether – and you don’t always have to resort to surgery. 

We’ll outline some of the best methods to prevent snoring and how to get professional help if the problem persists. Keep reading for more information!

Reasons why people snore 

To stop snoring, you must figure out why it’s happening. There can be multiple things going on structurally and medically to create that annoying sound. Sleep apnea is one of the first things doctors think of when a patient complains about snoring or has specific symptoms throughout the night or in the morning.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a common reason an individual snores at night. Many people don’t know they have sleep apnea until they undergo a sleep study. Here are the symptoms of OSA, so if you experience one or more of these and snore, you should speak to a sleep specialist. 

 

  • Witnessed breathing pauses during sleep
  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Morning headaches
  • Sore throat upon awakening
  • Restless sleep
  • Gasping or choking at night
  • High blood pressure
  • Chest pain at night
  • Your snoring is so loud it’s disrupting your partner’s sleep
  • In children, poor attention span, behavioral issues, or poor performance in school

 

Other reasons why snoring might occur include obesity, alcohol consumption, sleep position, mouth anatomy, such as having a narrow airway, and sinus issues. Simply being a man also puts you more at risk for snoring. Once you and a sleep specialist determine why you’re snoring, you can devise a treatment plan. 

Treatment for snoring 

There are multiple things you can do to stop snoring. Of course, you can try a few things out at home and see if those strategies lessen the occurrences of snoring before you seek professional help. Or you can immediately consult with a sleep specialist. 

Some non-invasive home remedies you can try to prevent snoring are to lose weight, raise the head of your bed or prop your head up more while sleeping, avoid sleeping on your back, take care of your nasal congestion, avoid or limit sedatives and alcohol before bed, and quit smoking. 

If you have a deviated septum, you might need surgery, and if you become diagnosed with sleep apnea, you might need a CPAP machine or oral appliance. 

Regardless, there are strategies to try out and professional treatments if necessary. 

Conclusion 

Snoring is a pesky behavior for the sleeper and those who sleep with them. It can cause a terrible night’s sleep, and not only that, it can lead to other health issues if not dealt with. Thankfully the technology that sleep studies and imaging allow can help determine the root cause of snoring. Sometimes, a simple lifestyle change can help the situation; but other times, more invasive treatments are necessary. Either way, the experts at Gwinnett Sleep, the leading sleep disorder center in Gwinnett County, are here to help you. Contact them if you are feeling the effects of snoring. 

Do you snore? If so, does that mean you have sleep apnea? It’s a valid question and one that many people are interested in knowing the answer to since sleep apnea is such a severe condition. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer. While snoring is often associated with sleep apnea, it doesn’t always mean you have the condition.

Let’s take a closer look at what snoring is and how it relates to sleep apnea, which millions of people suffer from each night. We’ll also discuss some of the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea so that you can better determine if it might affect you. Keep reading if you’re curious whether snoring means anything more than just noisy sleeping!

How does sleep apnea relate to snoring?

What does research show about the prevalence of sleep apnea? 

A study of almost 70,000 participants and over 11.6 million nights of data collected revealed that 22.6% of people experienced sleep apnea. That’s a lot of snoring! 

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder many people suffer from, and it ultimately keeps the body from getting enough oxygen. During the night, breathing can start and stop several times while also causing snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type. 

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, “Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your upper airway becomes blocked many times while you sleep, reducing or completely stopping airflow. This is the most common type of sleep apnea. Anything that could narrow your airways, such as obesity, large tonsils, or changes in your hormone levels, can increase your risk for obstructive sleep apnea.”

An enlarged or relaxed tongue or narrowed airway, especially when laying on your back while sleeping, can cause that loud, harsh vibrating sound. 

Sleep apnea-related snoring treatments

There are several at-home remedies and lifestyle changes people can make to combat snoring. However, if you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, simple adjustments might not cut it. Obstructive sleep apnea can do potential harm and can even lead to death if not treated seriously. A little snoring is one thing, but dying in your sleep due to a lack of oxygen is another. 

Sleep specialists and dentists specializing in sleep disorders can provide patients with an oral appliance to wear while sleeping. This product is a set of mouthpieces that patients can adjust over time until they have the correct fit. Ultimately the goal is to create the perfect position, so the jaw, tongue, and soft palate stay away from the air passage. Oral appliances are not for individuals who have chronic sleep apnea. 

The CPAP machine, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure, is a treatment option for those with moderate to severe sleep apnea. People with this machine wear a mask over their nose and mouth while they sleep, ensuring pressurized air flows continuously. A CPAP machine is an effective treatment option that can simultaneously get rid of snoring. 

Conclusion

Snoring is annoying, but it can signify something more serious. Sleep apnea occurs when breathing is interrupted during sleep and can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and depression. If you snore regularly, you may have sleep apnea and should contact Gwinnett Sleep for a sleep study. We can help you get the treatment you need to get the restful night’s sleep you deserve.

 

Are you one of the many people who snore? Snoring can annoy your partner, but did you know it could also be dangerous? Snoring can be a sign of a serious health condition called sleep apnea. See your doctor immediately if you are experiencing other symptoms, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, trouble focusing, or headaches. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems if left untreated. So if you’re wondering whether snoring is dangerous, the answer is yes – it can be! 

But don’t worry; most cases of sleep apnea can be treated successfully. Don’t let snoring keep you from getting a good night’s sleep – get checked out by your doctor today!

Why does snoring occur?

Snoring is one of those things that you don’t spend time thinking about unless it’s becoming problematic and affecting your life. 

It is estimated that at least 25% of people snore regularly and up to 45% snore occasionally, health experts at Johns Hopkins conclude. Snoring isn’t a random sound people make for no reason; it is “caused by some basic factors, such as poor muscle tone, bulky throat tissue, or a long soft palate or uvula. It may also be a red flag that you have a treatable health condition that interferes with breathing while you sleep, such as nasal congestion caused by a sinus infection or allergy, nasal polyps (noncancerous growths in the nose), or a deviated septum.”

Some reasons for snoring, such as nasal congestion, can be efficiently dealt with via home remedies or OTC medication. However, many other underlying conditions, such as sleep apnea, a deviated septum, or polyps, need more intervention. 

What makes snoring dangerous?

The main reason regular snoring is dangerous is that the action of snoring means something is restricting the airflow. Of course, some people snore from time to time, such as when they have allergies or become too relaxed after drinking alcohol – but even that can be dangerous. 

This lack of oxygen signals the brain to fight or flight when airways are obstructed or restricted. Not only is the lack of breath dangerous, but the frequent bursts of adrenaline, spikes in heart rate, and rises in blood pressure can do a lot of damage.

Continual sleep disruption from snoring is also bad for your physical and mental health, leaving you groggy and sluggish the next day, which results in inactivity and low productivity. Plus, no one should drive to work in the morning half asleep. 

Again, while the act of snoring is not dangerous, the causes of snoring and the fact that airflow and oxygen are restricted can be ultimately life-threatening. 

Conclusion

Though commonly thought of as nothing more than a nuisance, snoring can be dangerous and is often indicative of an underlying sleep disorder like sleep apnea. If you or your partner snores regularly, it’s important to consult a doctor or sleep specialist to get to the root of the problem. Gwinnett Sleep provides expert analysis and treatment for all types of sleep disorders, so if you’re looking for help getting a good night’s rest, give us a call today.