Why does a person snore?

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Why do people snore in their sleep?

Almost every person has at least once in his life heard his roommate, relative, or overnight guest snoring. And this is not surprising, according to statistics, 30% of the entire world population suffers from snoring.

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Approximately 60% of US residents snore in their sleep, and in our country - every fifth Russian. But why does a person snore, and is it dangerous for his health? How to deal with this feature? Many questions arise.

What is snoring and how does it occur?

Let's consider the mechanism of the occurrence of loud, intrusive sounds that a person makes during sleep. When we go to bed, we don't stop breathing. The air passes through the nasal passages, then through the pharynx, after which it enters the trachea or bronchi.

Snoring sounds appear in the throat. In order for a person’s pharynx and larynx to function normally and maintain respiratory function, the muscles, soft palate and its uvula must work in a coordinated manner. If a malfunction occurs, the person makes snoring sounds. This often occurs due to narrowing of the upper airways or decreased tone of the pharyngeal muscles.

When a person snores, the walls of the breathing tube collapse, as well as its partial obstruction. Vibration of the soft tissues of the pharynx and soft palate occurs. To put it simply, the airways narrow, and the soft tissues that are present in the pharynx beat against each other under the flow of inhaled and exhaled air.

Causes of snoring in men and women

We have analyzed the mechanism of snoring. But what factors cause these changes in the body? Let's look at the main reasons why a person may snore.

Narrowing of the airways

Snoring is often caused by narrowing of the airways. These changes occur due to a number of diseases or birth defects, but sometimes bad habits can also be the cause:

  • trauma to the nose, which resulted in a deviated nasal septum;
  • the appearance of polyps. These are benign growths that appear inside the nasal passages;
  • swelling of the nasal mucosa as a consequence of rhinitis, ARVI and other diseases. Sometimes swelling of the mucous membrane occurs due to the fact that a person inhales smoke from cigarettes, which is why smokers snore quite often;
  • swelling of the oropharynx caused by tonsillitis or tonsillitis;
  • inflammation of the adenoids. Most often, babies snore because of this;
  • overweight. If a person has grade 2 or 3 obesity, the lumen of the breathing tube decreases;
  • congenital narrow breathing tube or deviated nasal septum. It happens that a person is born with narrow nasal passages, a deviated septum inside the nose, or he has an inappropriate length of the uvula.
  • malocclusion, the lower jaw is smaller than the upper and seems to be pressed into the neck.

Decreased muscle tone of the pharynx

When a person goes to bed, his muscle tone decreases. However, these changes are minor, so their presence alone cannot cause snoring. Additional factors that cause excessive relaxation of the pharyngeal muscles contribute to the appearance of snoring sounds.

These include:

  • sleeping pills (a person took medications that have a sleeping pill or sedative effect before going to bed);
  • fatigue. Both physical and psycho-emotional stress can cause snoring;
  • alcohol. Most often, men suffer from this addiction, but sometimes women also drink before bed. Alcohol relaxes all muscle groups, including the respiratory tract;
  • endocrine diseases. If a person suffers from hypothyroidism, that is, he does not produce enough thyroid hormones, there is a general decrease in muscle tone in the body.

Hormonal changes in women: pregnancy and menopause

All of the above reasons occur in both men and women. At the same time, the fair half of humanity has another reason that can cause snoring - hormonal changes.

Thus, during pregnancy, women often begin to make characteristic sounds during sleep. Even more often, women who are over 50 suffer from snoring, since at this time they enter menopause.

Is snoring dangerous to your health?

The fact that a snoring person interferes with the sleep of those who are in the same room with him is no secret. And for the sake of the peace of mind of your loved ones, you should get rid of it, but this is not the main reason for which you need to be treated.

Stopping breathing (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome)

Often snoring is the only sign of such a dangerous disease as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Its other signs: a headache, a person gets tired, his attention decreases, problems begin in his intimate life - are not as striking as intrusive “night” sounds that prevent others from sleeping.

When the disease develops in a person, a short-term cessation of breathing occurs during sleep, due to which the level of oxygen in the blood sharply decreases, which means that all organs and tissues of the body begin to suffer from hypoxia - a lack of oxygen.

If this is a mild form of the disease, then there are few such stops (from 2 to 3). In severe cases, there are up to 500 pauses in breathing during sleep - this means that a person holds his breath for 4 hours a night.

All this affects your well-being. A person cannot get enough sleep, wakes up in the morning exhausted and tired, then all day long he complains of fatigue, drowsiness, and headaches. It is difficult for him to concentrate, he begins to forget everything. If the disease is diagnosed in a man, it often affects potency.

It is very important to detect the development of apnea in time and begin treatment, otherwise the patient increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension, arrhythmia may develop, and sometimes the disease causes a stroke or heart attack. Even death in a dream is not excluded.

Normal snoring

Snoring is not always a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. At the same time, the reasons that cause simple snoring and the development of this dangerous disease are similar.

In a patient who snores without stopping breathing, the walls of the respiratory tract do not block the access of oxygen, but only vibrate, which is why air still passes through. However, much less is supplied than needed, which cannot but affect one’s well-being.

If it’s hard for you to get up in the morning, you constantly have a headache, you have no strength, you can’t get enough sleep, even if you go to bed on time, it’s possible that this is because your body is weakened because it couldn’t rest well at night.

Scientists from Italy have found that constant snoring causes destructive changes, which reduces a person’s mental abilities.

How to treat snoring: what should you do?

Snoring is not the norm. You need to fight him. It is especially important to make a timely diagnosis for those who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Visit to the doctor

If a number of signs appear (snoring, which is sometimes interrupted, headaches in the morning, fatigue, problems with memory and attention, increased blood pressure, and others), you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. He will confirm or refute the diagnosis by performing a polysomnography.

Even if the diagnosis of apnea is not confirmed, you should not refuse to let the situation take its course. How to deal with snoring in this case?

Quitting bad habits and sleeping pills, normalizing weight

There is no universal remedy for treating snoring, since much depends on what disease, pathology or habit caused it.

  1. The simplest way that helps many patients is to lose excess weight, since it can be the cause of annoying “rattling” sounds during sleep.
  2. Giving up bad habits is also useful: you should not abuse alcohol, and it is better to quit smoking.
  3. In addition, it is worth gradually weaning off sleeping pills if you are taking them.

If snoring is caused by congestion and swelling of the nasal passages, you should consult a doctor to treat the disease that caused the problem: allergies, rhinitis, tonsillitis. In some cases, to improve nasal breathing, you have to resort to rhinoplasty.

How to deal with snoring at home?

What should a person who snores in their sleep do? The first step, definitely, is to visit a doctor and follow all his recommendations. But is there any other way to help yourself and give those around you the opportunity to get some sleep before the excess weight goes away (usually this does not happen quickly), or while waiting in line for surgery?

To prevent snoring during sleep, you can take the following simple measures:

Take care of correct body position

Buy an orthopedic pillow. She will raise her head and keep it in the correct position while sleeping. Or simply raise your head in another way. Then not only will the tongue not sink, but the swelling of the pharyngeal mucosa will also subside, as the liquid will flow down.

Perform special gymnastics

Performing special exercises helps strengthen the muscles of the pharynx:

Don't sleep on your back

Those who sleep in this position most often suffer from snoring. It is while sleeping on the back that a person’s tongue can become stuck. So try to sleep on your side.

To prevent you from rolling over in your sleep, attach a pocket to the back of your pajamas and place a tennis ball or walnut in it, which will prevent you from taking an unwanted position. In just a month, the bad habit of sleeping on your back will disappear.

Buy an anti-snoring device

Buy an intraoral device that can help prevent snoring. It looks like a pacifier, and thanks to its shape it helps to fix the tongue in the desired position. The device is worn before bed and helps in cases where a person snores due to a malocclusion.

Medicines

On your doctor's recommendation, purchase anti-snoring medications (sprays, drops) that contain essential oils. They help tone the muscles of the pharynx and reduce swelling of the mucous membrane.

When you eliminate the cause of snoring, you will get rid of it. However, if it was caused by senile changes in the body, you will have to come to terms with it. Old age, unfortunately, cannot be treated.

Source: http://otvetprost.com/724-pochemu-chelovek-hrapit.html

We determine the reasons why a person snores in his sleep and choose treatment

Among adults worldwide, about a third suffer from snoring. At the same time, few people think about why a person snores and how dangerous it is. And if for one category of people snoring really does not cause harm to health, then for some people apnea can threaten serious problems, even death. It is especially important to pay attention if a child snores during sleep.

According to statistics, snoring is three times more common among the stronger sex. Patients with this symptom are mostly in adulthood, as age-related changes and decreased muscle tone lead to snoring at night. For women, the causes of snoring may be hidden in hormonal imbalances or other ailments, but the causes of snoring in children are still under close scrutiny by doctors.

Main causes of snoring

Almost all people snore during the period when they suffer from viral and colds associated with swelling and congestion of the respiratory tract. At the same time, doctors strongly do not recommend determining on your own why such a symptom occurs, since asking the question incorrectly will not give the right answers and solutions. Only a comprehensive examination in a clinic by different specialists will provide accurate information.

Provided that the medical specialist determines why the patient snores during sleep, it will be possible to select an effective treatment method in the future.

Among women

For women, the causes of snoring can be practically the same conditions that are typical for representatives of the stronger sex. Namely:

  • a deviated nasal septum of a congenital or acquired nature, as a result of which oxygen is not able to flow freely into the nose, creating characteristic sounds;
  • nasal congestion and polyps in it, which also narrows the lumen of the nasal sinuses and interferes with the passage of oxygen through them;
  • enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids due to disease, accompanied by a narrowing of the space in the upper respiratory tract;
  • excess weight and fat in the neck, pressing on the airways;
  • presence of bad habits or excessive use of sleeping pills;
  • age-related changes, when the tone of the muscles of the larynx decreases, as a result of which the ducts of the respiratory tract narrow.

The causes of female snoring may be the period of pregnancy and hormonal fluctuations. This symptom is often observed in women who suffer from diabetes. In general, any pathology of the endocrine system disrupts the balance of electrolytes, since against this background swelling of the soft tissues can form.

In men

In order for a man to know exactly what to do if he constantly snores during sleep, he must definitely find out the causes of this symptom. For men, the list of reasons practically coincides with the reasons typical for women, namely:

  • congenital anomalies of the nose and septum, respiratory tract, acquired injuries resulting in curvature;
  • narrowing of the nasal passages and larynx;
  • the presence of polyps in the nose that clog the passages;
  • congenital anomaly of the elongated uvula of the palate;
  • increase in tongue size;
  • age-related changes and weakness of the laryngeal muscles;
  • hormonal disorders and diseases of the endocrine system;
  • excess weight and excessive obesity in the neck area;
  • bad habits;
  • nasal congestion;
  • allergic reactions;
  • taking sleeping pills.

Most often, men who experience constant snoring are referred for examination to several specialists - a cardiologist, an otolaryngologist, an endocrinologist. In the most advanced cases, the cause of snoring can be oncology, that is, the presence of tumors in the upper respiratory tract.

In children

The most common complaints from doctors are as follows: “why do we snore in our sleep,” “what should I do if I snore,” “as a result of which I began to snore.” But questions about children's snoring are rare. For children, such a symptom is only a clinical picture of inflammatory processes in the nasopharynx against the background of diseases such as sinusitis or rhinitis, tonsillitis or adenoid disease.

The prevalence of snoring in children reaches only 12-13% of the entire world population.

Children of school and preschool age are also characterized by such causes of snoring as hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsil and the growth of the pathological nature of lymphoid formations of the nasopharynx. Such reasons require urgent treatment, as they lead to external changes in the structure of the child’s face, bite, speech impairment and decreased immunity.

Is snoring dangerous?

Snoring that is caused by pathologies and diseases inside the human body is considered dangerous. If snoring during sleep begins to occur occasionally and is unobtrusive, most likely we are talking about an uncomfortable body position or psycho-emotional fatigue. If snoring occurs regularly at night and literally exhausts those around you, you should contact the clinic.

Most often, severe snoring is accompanied by the following pathologies:

  • arterial hypertension;
  • Heart arythmy;
  • heart failure;
  • stroke.

Snoring is also dangerous for those who have it accompanied by apnea, that is, periodic stops in breathing during sleep. Against this background, oxygen starvation of organs and systems occurs, accompanied by disturbances. Chronic snoring is accompanied by a lack of deep sleep, as a result of which the brain does not receive proper rest. All this reduces mental and physical performance.

Treatment of snoring

Today, official medicine offers two options for treating snoring if a person experiences serious consequences of such a symptom during sleep. First, the patient must be examined in a clinic, after which, based on the data and established causes, the doctor prescribes medication or surgical treatment. Doctors often approve of treating snoring with folk remedies.

Medication

If the doctor knows for sure why the patient is constantly snoring, the optimal course of medication will be selected accordingly. If we are talking about diseases in the ENT organs, the doctor may prescribe treatment for provoking factors using antiseptics, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. Next, the drug is prescribed directly for snoring.

Snoring can be eliminated using spray, drops or tablets, which are selected by a somnologist. Usually we are talking about drugs containing glucocorticosteroids with vasodilating and anti-inflammatory effects. This principle of action eliminates problems with the patency of the respiratory system as much as possible. Popular anti-snoring drugs are as follows:

  • Sominorm is a drug in the form of an aerosol, which is sprayed half an hour before going to bed;
  • Theophylline - anti-edematous and enveloping effect on the respiratory system;
  • Nasonex - used for mild forms of snoring for 3 months;
  • Silence is a herbal preparation with a freezing effect.
  • Snorstop is an effective drug in tablet form.

If the causes of snoring are hormonal disorders and diseases of the endocrine system, a specialist prescribes hormonal therapy. It is important not to use anti-snoring medications on a regular basis, as this may cause addiction to them.

Traditional methods

Snoring can also be treated with the help of alternative medicine, which offers harmless remedies without side effects that give long-term results. The most popular recipes are as follows:

  • Take cabbage, grind it using a blender, add honey to the resulting pulp, half the volume of cabbage. The product should be taken orally in the evenings for one month.
  • Sea buckthorn oil is used as nasal drops, placing a few drops into the nose.
  • You can rinse your nose with a solution of sea salt, which relieves congestion and swelling. Dissolve 3 teaspoons of salt in a glass of clean water.
  • In 500 ml of boiling water you need to add a tablespoon of oak bark, simmer everything in a water bath for about half an hour, then leave the product for another 3 hours. The resulting infusion is first filtered from the sediment, after which it is used to gargle.

Experts also recommend performing certain exercises that train the muscles of the palate, tongue, and jaws. These simple manipulations can also eliminate snoring if it is caused by low muscle tone. More about treating snoring with folk remedies.

Prevention

If a person periodically snores during sleep, this means that the problem requires correction and solution. To begin with, it is worth reviewing the basic measures to prevent snoring, since in most cases they help overcome the unpleasant symptom. Prevention of snoring involves the following points:

  • You need to sleep in such a position that the level of your head is higher than the level of your torso. To do this, you can take several pillows.
  • You should avoid taking sleeping pills that lead to numbness of the respiratory tract.
  • You will need to minimize, or better yet completely abandon, bad habits.
  • Weight correction also prevents snoring.
  • Before going to bed, it is better to avoid foods that form mucus - flour products, potatoes and fermented milk products.
  • It is better to ventilate the room before going to bed.
  • Using a humidifier can also help prevent snoring.

The fight against snoring is not just treatment, it is a social task, because snoring bothers not only the person himself, but also his immediate environment. Snoring heavily at night means not giving your body proper rest, and also putting yourself at risk of respiratory arrest. Therefore, it is worth preventing the symptom, and if it is present, treat it with the help of medical specialists.

Source: http://hraponetka.ru/pochemu-hrapit-chelovek-vo-sne/

Why do some people snore at night?

The number of people who snore while sleeping is quite large; almost a third of the adult population faces this problem. Snoring, which creates social inconvenience for the person himself and his environment, can also cause medical problems, in particular, provoke obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and a number of serious diseases.

There are many causes of snoring

For what reasons do such unpleasant sounds arise for others? Why does a person snore while sleeping? There are a large number of reasons for this unpleasant nighttime symptom. In adults, these are often acquired diseases that make it difficult for air masses to move through the respiratory tract. Children often snore due to inflammatory pathology of the nasopharynx, congenital anomalies, and adenoids.

Mechanism of snoring

Normally, the movement of air masses during sleep occurs through the nasal passages, pharynx and then it enters the trachea and bronchi. Snoring sounds occur at the level of the pharynx, which, in addition to its respiratory function, helps move the food bolus and performs a separation function, preventing the food bolus from entering the respiratory tract. This complex process is carried out thanks to the work of the muscles of the pharynx itself, as well as the tongue and soft palate. Regulation of this process during sleep occurs under the influence of complex neuroregulatory mechanisms from the central nervous system.

The appearance of snoring sounds occurs due to the fact that a malfunction occurs at one of the stages of the activity of the pharyngeal structures when a person is sleeping. The result of this is collapse of the walls and partial obstruction of the respiratory tube, as well as vibration of the soft tissue formations of the pharynx or soft palate, or the beating of the tongue against the adjacent walls of the nasopharynx. Snoring especially increases on the back and decreases on the side.

The most dangerous situation is one that leads to complete closure of the airway during sleep and the occurrence of a short-term cessation of breathing - apnea. In this situation, snoring is combined with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA).

Therefore, the main causes of snoring sounds at night are divided into two main subgroups - leading to a narrowing of the airways or contributing to excessive relaxation of the pharyngeal tissues.

Narrowing of the airways

Most often, such a situation as snoring during sleep occurs in patients of otolaryngology clinics.

The reasons for this may be the following:

  1. Deviation of the bony septum, congenital or acquired after traumatic injuries to the nose.
  2. Benign neoplasms in the nasal cavity are polyps.
  3. Rarely, malignant formations of the nasal passages.
  4. Inflammatory process of the nasal mucosa, which leads to its swelling (ARVI, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis).
  5. Adenoids, which are more often diagnosed in children.

Causes of snoring are also sometimes associated with obstruction of the breathing tube at the level of the oropharynx:

  1. Obesity of 2-3 degrees, in which there is a significant narrowing of the lumen of the respiratory tube.
  2. Inflammatory changes in the palatine tonsils (tonsillitis, tonsillitis) and accompanying swelling of the oropharyngeal mucosa.

Chronic tonsillitis leads to the proliferation of lymphoid tissue of the pharyngeal ring and narrowing of the airway, thereby causing snoring

  1. Swelling of the mucous membrane due to inhalation of irritants, including cigarette smoke (active and passive smokers).
  2. Congenital anatomical narrowness of the respiratory tube (micrognathia and posterior displacement of the jaw).

Decreased muscle tone

During sleep, a physiological decrease in muscle tone occurs, however, some factors can further enhance it. The second group of reasons that provoke snoring at night is those that promote excessive relaxation of the pharyngeal muscles:

  1. Taking drugs with strong sedative or hypnotic effects, for example, benzodiazepines, barbiturates.
  2. Overfatigue - physical, psycho-emotional.
  3. Drinking large amounts of alcohol the night before.
  4. In women, the cause is hormonal changes in the body (pregnancy, menopause).
  5. Endocrine diseases: decreased production of thyroid hormones, acromegaly with enlarged tongue.
  6. Diseases with impaired neuromuscular transmission (ALS).

Below we will discuss the main root causes of snoring in children and adults.

Snoring in children

The causes of snoring in children can be anatomical disorders leading to narrowing of the airways.

According to medical studies, snoring at night in children occurs much less frequently than in adults, its prevalence is only 12-13%. In most cases, it is caused by inflammatory changes in the nasopharynx: tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, against which the nasopharyngeal tonsil grows - adenoids.

Hypertrophy of the nasopharyngeal tonsil is diagnosed in preschool and primary school children. With adenoids, there is a proliferation of lymphoid formations in the nasopharynx, which leads to pathological narrowing of the lumen of the airways and swelling of adjacent tissues. In addition, adenoids, especially if they are large in size, put pressure on the soft palate, thereby limiting its mobility during sleep. Symptoms of this pathology are:

  1. A child snores during sleep at night.
  2. Restless sleep with frequent waking up.
  3. Frequent colds.
  4. Speech becomes unclear with a nasal tint.
  5. Characteristic “adenoid” facial features: slightly drooping lower jaw, high hard palate, broken bite.

Parents must pay attention to the treatment of such a child. Adenoids of grade 2-3 lead to the formation of characteristic “bird-like” facial contours.

It should be remembered that people who have not received timely therapy after 20 years often suffer from night snoring, which is accompanied by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Snoring and obesity

Obesity and snoring can be both causes and consequences of each other

Very often, in older people, snoring sounds at night begin to appear due to excess body weight. At the same time, we are not just talking about an extra two or three kilograms, but a situation where obesity is diagnosed with an excess of the body mass index (according to WHO) of more than kg/m2. More than 50% of people with second or third degree obesity suffer from night snoring in combination with periodic sleep apnea. Such patients additionally have cardiac and vascular pathology: hypertension, coronary stenosis, heart rhythm disturbances.

The mechanism for the development of snoring during sleep in this case is due to the deposition of visceral fat between the tissues of the pharynx, especially in the area of ​​the side walls, when the patency of the breathing tube is significantly narrowed. If additional inflammatory changes occur in the palatine tonsils and nasopharyngeal mucosa, snoring sounds begin to intensify significantly, and apnea becomes more frequent.

Snoring and endocrine pathology

Snoring sounds during sleep are sometimes caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). This is due to a general decrease in muscle tone in the body, as well as the presence of excess body weight and the deposition of adipose tissue around the pharynx.

A combination of diabetes mellitus and snoring in older people is also typical. Most likely, this is due to the presence of concomitant obesity, which leads to airway stenosis during sleep.

Snoring and alcohol

Alcohol reduces the tone of the muscles in the back of the throat, which increases the likelihood of snoring.

It is known that taking ethyl alcohol promotes relaxation of muscle groups, including the respiratory tract; it also has an inhibitory effect on the regulation of the breathing process and disrupts the interaction of pharyngeal structures. Therefore, its excessive use often causes “noisy” sleep, especially on the back and on the side.

People who already have episodes of snoring associated with upper respiratory tract diseases should avoid drinking excess alcohol before bed.

In most cases, experts identify two or three pathogenic factors in people who snore, for example, when there is obesity and pathology of the ENT organs, which are aggravated by alcohol abuse or smoking before bed. What is the exact cause of this unpleasant phenomenon and why they snore can be determined by a somnologist or otolaryngologist. This may require additional polysomnographic examination, examination of ENT organs, and, if necessary, a computer or magnetic resonance scan of the upper respiratory tract.

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Source: http://sonologia.ru/khrap-i-apnoje/pochemu-chelovek-hrapit-vo-sne.html

Why does a person snore in his sleep?

Many people believe that snoring is a harmless, albeit quite annoying problem that can be ignored. However, finding out why a person snores is very important, because it is often a harbinger of serious diseases, the treatment of which should be started as soon as possible. What are the reasons and are there ways to get rid of it once and for all?

Causes of snoring

The main anatomical reason is the narrowing and relaxation of the walls of the airways. Under normal conditions, air quickly reaches the lungs, passing through the larynx and pharynx. Due to relaxation of the muscles of the pharynx, sagging of the velum, swelling of the mucous membrane, the lumen of the pharynx can narrow, turbulent air flows are formed, as a result of which a characteristic sound becomes audible.

Statistics show that more than 25% of the world's population snore at night. Men are more often affected, but women can also make loud noises in their sleep. The reasons may differ for men, women and children.

The most common causes of male snoring are:

  • congenital or acquired due to injury structural features of the nasal septum;
  • narrowed nasal passages and narrowing of the larynx;
  • benign neoplasms in the nasal cavity, narrowing the nasal passages;
  • elongation of the uvula;
  • changes in the larynx that occur with age: its narrowing and weakening of the muscular system. Because of these changes, people snore when they reach adulthood;
  • chronic diseases of the endocrine system, for example, diabetes, hypothyroidism;
  • excess body weight;
  • rhinitis, including allergic, the main symptom of which is swelling of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages.

Women snore significantly less often than men. The most common causes of female snoring are:

  • appears with nasal congestion accompanying rhinitis;
  • curvature of the nasal septum, which obstructs the airway;
  • endocrine pathology and failure of the hormonal system. For example, due to hormonal changes, women may begin to snore during menopause;
  • obesity and accumulation of adipose tissue in the neck, as a result of which the airways are partially blocked;
  • pregnancy. During pregnancy, swelling may occur, including in the respiratory tract. In addition, “pregnant runny nose” develops and body weight increases. As a result, pregnant women begin to snore in their sleep. Usually this unpleasant symptom disappears after the baby is born.

It is important that in both men and women, snoring sounds made during sleep can be caused by damage to the nerves passing through the neck, a stroke, or the presence of a tumor in the brain. Therefore, if a person’s snoring occurs suddenly and is accompanied by neurological symptoms, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Finally, drunk people often snore. This is due to the fact that alcohol causes a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the body, including those located in the nasopharynx. During sleep, the nasopharynx relaxes even more.

Snoring in children is quite rare. This usually occurs due to the presence of an inflammatory process in the nasopharynx area. Therefore, if a child snores in his sleep, you should consult a doctor: sometimes it becomes the first symptom indicating inflammation of the adenoids. Also, sounds made in a dream may indicate a congenital curvature of the nasal septum.

Why is it dangerous?

Snoring in any position is one of the main symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Apnea is manifested by temporary cessation of breathing during night sleep, when the muscles of the nasopharynx relax, resulting in the airways being completely blocked. It has been established that short pauses in breathing can occur about once during the night.

You can find out that breathing stops during sleep by a characteristic sign. At first the person becomes quiet, then snores heavily, taking several deep breaths.

As soon as breathing stops, the brain receives a danger signal and partial awakening occurs. The muscles become toned and breathing is restored. However, the quality of night sleep decreases, resulting in a person becoming irritable and feeling chronic fatigue. Sometimes a person wakes up from a feeling of lack of oxygen or nightmares.

Apnea threatens not only permanent fatigue. Due to lack of sleep and tissue hypoxia, which occurs as a result of frequent stoppages of breathing, the risk of stroke and heart attack increases, arterial hypertension develops, and the ability to concentrate decreases. In physically healthy men, apnea may even cause impotence. Also, apnea often leads to arrhythmia, stroke, and heart attack, which can cause sudden death of a person in his sleep.

Conservative treatment

Treatment can be carried out only after the doctor manages to figure out why the patient has this symptom. Until the exact cause of snoring is known, it is impossible to get rid of it.

Conservative treatment is usually sufficient. The first step is to reduce body weight. Very often, getting rid of a few extra pounds is enough to stop snoring.

Also, if the muscles have lost their tone due to age-related degenerative changes, the patient is recommended to change his sleeping position. Sleeping on your back causes the muscles of the roof of your mouth to block your airway. It is enough to train yourself to sleep on your side to get rid of the problem.

For inflammation in the upper respiratory tract, antibiotic therapy is administered. To relieve symptoms, you can use drugs that narrow the blood vessels in the nasal passages. However, you should not use such drugs too often: dependence on them quickly forms. Antihistamines can help with allergic snoring.

So-called sleep hygiene can play a big role in getting rid of snoring. It promotes faster and easier falling asleep, quality sleep, and better rest at night. You should increase the duration of sleep, go to bed at the same time, introduce certain habits and rituals before bed (warm shower, herbal tea, calm, relaxing music, etc.). You should not use gadgets in bed; they can overstimulate the nervous system and make it difficult to fall asleep. It is necessary to create favorable microclimatic conditions in the bedroom: the room should be cool, the air should be sufficiently humid to avoid drying out the mucous membranes.

Surgery

What to do if a person snores heavily, and tried conservative treatment methods do not bring the desired result? In this case, surgical intervention may be recommended, the purpose of which is to eliminate the anatomical feature that led to the narrowing of the airways.

Depending on the causes of snoring, the intervention method is selected:

  • Uvuloplasty is necessary when lengthening the uvula. The intervention is performed under local anesthesia;
  • Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty involves the removal of the tonsils and uvula. Thanks to the operation, the cavity of the oropharynx is enlarged;
  • Septoplasty is a method to correct deviated nasal septums. Naturally, the method will be effective only in the case of congenital deviated septum or nasal injury;
  • adenoidectomy - removal of the tonsils.

Special implants and mouth guards that strengthen the upper palate and prevent it from vibrating also help combat snoring.

Prevention methods

If a person snores for a long time or often holds his breath during sleep, preventive measures may be ineffective and he will have to deal with snoring with the help of a doctor. However, it is worth following the recommendations below: they will alleviate a person’s condition and enable them to get enough sleep at night, as well as reduce the frequency of apnea episodes.

Snoring experts recommend:

  • give up alcohol and smoking: this will not only help you regain restful sleep, but also improve your overall health;
  • reduce the number of potential allergens in the bedroom. You should get rid of wool and synthetic products, as well as feather pillows, and regularly carry out wet cleaning;
  • buy an orthopedic pillow. This pillow allows you to ensure an anatomically correct position of the head during sleep and open the airways as much as possible;
  • start getting rid of extra pounds. It has been proven that if body weight is reduced by 10%, the number of apnea episodes decreases;
  • It is advisable to sleep lying not on your back, but on your side. This will “open” the airways;
  • purchase an air humidifier;
  • moisturize the oral mucosa before going to bed. To do this, you can use special solutions for the oral cavity.

Despite the fact that snoring does not pose an immediate threat to life and health, it is advisable to try to get rid of it, even if a person begins to snore with age and considers this a normal phenomenon. After all, this symptom may indicate the presence of inflammatory diseases or indicate that a person is leading an unhealthy lifestyle: does not watch his weight, abuses alcohol and tobacco. However, the most dangerous consequence is apnea - temporary cessation of breathing.

Doctor's opinion

The causes of snoring are different for different ages. Children snore due to enlarged tonsils, adenoids, and structural anomalies of the nasopharynx and larynx. For adults, the same reasons are relevant as for children, but here we add:

  1. Excess weight is the most common reason. Adipose tissue, in addition to the subcutaneous layer, is also deposited in the walls of the larynx and pharynx and narrows its lumen.
  2. Drinking alcohol before bed leads to additional muscle relaxation and increased snoring.
  3. Sleeping pills have a similar effect to alcohol.
  4. Smoking makes the mucous membranes and muscles more flabby and contributes to snoring.

However, snoring is not just an inconvenience to loved ones. It is fraught with a serious danger, which lies in the fact that during snoring numerous respiratory arrests can occur. Normally, such stops occur to one degree or another in all people during sleep, but they are rare and their duration does not exceed 10 seconds. In this case, they do not cause harm to health.

However, in recent years, a large number of studies have been devoted to the so-called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). This deadly condition consists of multiple, prolonged pauses in breathing (apnea) during sleep, lasting more than 10 seconds.

There can be up to 500 such episodes per night, causing quite serious oxygen starvation of the brain. In the morning, a person feels exhausted, not rested, during the daytime he feels sleepy because the brain does not rest at night, the normal rhythm of alternating fast and slow sleep is disrupted, because each stop in breathing is a micro-awakening of the brain. OSA leads to the development of dangerous pathologies: arterial hypertension, heart rhythm disturbances, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke. This is why snoring should not be taken lightly.

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Why does a person snore, how to get rid of snoring, treatment methods

Every person knows what snoring is, since it affects up to 30% of the adult population of the Earth. And if for others it is a certain nuisance when someone in the family snores, then for those with this disease it is a serious health risk.

Snoring is one of the main symptoms of a disease called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA). This pathology manifests itself as short-term pauses in breathing during sleep, followed by loud snoring.

Interesting facts about snoring:

  • every 5th Russian snores, 60% of Americans snore in their sleep
  • men snore most often, people who smoke, overweight people, older people snore more often than young people
  • Children sometimes snore too
  • snoring is not normal and snoring can be treated
  • snoring is sometimes the only sign of apnea (stopping breathing during sleep).

The mechanism of snoring and OSA

Why does a person snore? The cause of snoring is narrowing, curvature, relaxation of the walls of the airways:

  • When you breathe, the air flow changes. In normal breathing, air passes directly through the nose and throat very quickly and supplies oxygen to the body in a timely manner. When the walls are changed (there are obstacles, the walls are curved), the air swirls, creating turbulence, which creates sound. In addition, vibrations of soft tissues (the uvula) may occur, which intensifies the sound.
  • Movement of the soft tissues of the pharynx. The sound of snoring indicates that the walls of the throat are touching, oscillating or vibrating. This occurs due to a decrease in muscle tone, as well as due to a reduction in the distance between the walls.

When does muscle tone change? This is facilitated by age, alcohol, low levels of thyroid hormones, chronic inflammatory processes in the pharynx, smoking (replacement of muscles with connective tissue), disruption of the innervation of pharyngeal tissue.

When does the distance between the walls decrease? This is facilitated by excess fatty tissue in the pharynx, enlarged tonsils (adenoids, tonsil hypertrophy), swelling due to allergic reactions.

What is Apnea? During sleep, overall muscle tone decreases. In particular, the muscles that make up the structure of the pharynx relax. If there are predisposing factors that cause narrowing of the airways, then the sagging soft palate beats against the walls of the pharynx during the passage of air flow. If the airways are completely blocked, a short-term cessation of breathing occurs - apnea. There can be up to 400 such stops per night.

  • During apnea, partial or complete arousal occurs in the brain, leading to a significant deterioration in sleep quality.
  • The patient often wakes up with a feeling of suffocation, sleep becomes restless and unrefreshing.
  • OSA is one of the main sources of nightmares.
  • During the day, the patient feels tired and sleepy, irritability increases, and mood worsens (see why you always want to sleep)
  • The consequence of this situation is an increase in blood pressure, an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
  • Memory deterioration and the development of impotence are also possible.

Causes of snoring

Diseases that cause snoring:

  • Disturbances in nasal breathing, and this disturbance must be significant to force the patient to switch to mouth breathing at night. Among these reasons are: deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, nasal valve pathology, adenoids in children, Thornwald’s bursa, etc.
  • Benign or malignant tumors of the respiratory tract
  • Inflammatory processes in the nose - narrowness of the nasal passages due to chronic runny nose, sinusitis, sinusitis, chronic tonsillitis (including sore throat)
  • Congenital anomalies of the structure of the nose or pharynx, long uvula, malocclusion, underdevelopment of the upper and/or lower jaw
  • ​ Allergic diseases - bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic cough
  • Acromegaly - dysfunction of the anterior pituitary gland
  • OSA - obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
  • Thyroid diseases - hypothyroidism
  • Neuromuscular diseases
  • Injuries leading to damage to the cranial nerves, damage to the pharyngeal nerves during operations
  • Neoplasms or stroke.

Changes in the walls of the respiratory tract are facilitated by:

  • Excess weight is the main cause of snoring. People with stage 1 obesity (BMI>29) are 8-12 times more likely to develop OSA than those without it. In people with grade 3 obesity (BMI>40), OSA is observed in 60% of cases. The mechanism of snoring is the narrowing of the lumen of the pharynx by fat deposited in the organs of the face and neck.
  • Alcohol - sleep occurring under the influence of alcohol leads to a significant decrease in muscle tone, and, consequently, to snoring.
  • Smoking - tobacco smoke has a bad effect on the condition of the muscles of the pharynx.
  • Sleeping pills (see how to fall asleep quickly without medications)

The danger of snoring

In severe cases of OSA, respiratory arrests occur up to once an hour, that is, every minute. As a result, the brain experiences enormous stress, tissues, including the brain, lack oxygen, and acidosis develops (acidification of the body). The result of this situation is the active development of atherosclerosis, and, consequently:

  • High blood pressure - 50% of adults who snore have hypertension. A characteristic feature of the disease is the excess of night pressure over daytime pressure, an increase in diastolic pressure in the morning, and even a decrease in pressure 20–30 minutes after waking up. According to some scientists, in patients whose blood pressure is not treatable (more than 3 medications are required), OSA is observed in 83% of cases.
  • Heart rhythm disturbances - In people with OSA, the incidence of heart rhythm disturbances can be up to 50%. It should be remembered that any arrhythmia puts the patient at risk for sudden death.
  • Coronary heart disease - In patients with coronary artery disease, snoring is observed in 30% of cases, which is significantly higher than in people without coronary artery disease in similar age groups.
  • Diabetes mellitus type 2 - In patients with diabetes, the incidence of OSA reaches 36%. The International Diabetes Federation recommends that all doctors, if they detect obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a patient, screen him for diabetes (see blood sugar levels).

Snoring in children

A child snores for the same reasons as an adult, namely:

  • Enlargement of the palatine tonsils and adenoids (see treatment of adenoids in children).
  • Difficulty breathing through the nose due to a runny nose, nasal polyps, congenital abnormalities, or some other reason.
  • Obesity.

Snoring in children affects their physical and mental development. Such patients become irritable and whiny, their school performance declines, and their behavior worsens. Snoring and sleep apnea can cause nightmares, enuresis and sleepwalking. Severe forms of sleep apnea in children have serious consequences: retardation in mental and physical development, severe hyperactivity and attention deficit syndrome.

It should be remembered that the causes of snoring in adults, such as obesity and malocclusion, begin in childhood. They are also caused by artificial feeding, which, unfortunately, is very fashionable in our time.

Treatment of snoring - preventive measures

Goal: reduce the influence of factors that contribute to snoring - allergens, swelling of the walls of the airways, inflammation.

Disadvantages: if several causes of snoring are combined, as well as apnea, these remedies are ineffective and also require regular use over a long period of time.

  • refusal or limitation of smoking, alcohol (at least 3 hours before bedtime)
  • exclusion of allergens in the room - dust, pets, woolen products, blankets, feathers, down pillows, flowering plants
  • orthopedic pillows - relieve positional snoring
  • restoration of normal nasal breathing - dilating strips on the nose, vasoconstrictor drops in the nose
  • weight loss - in case of obesity, even a 10% reduction improves the condition
  • air humidification - the use of ultrasonic humidifiers, climate systems
  • moisturizing the mucous membranes of the mouth and pharynx - rinse your mouth with vegetable oil before going to bed
  • throat muscle training

You can get rid of snoring with folk remedies

The most popular of them helps against positional snoring, when a person snores while lying on his back. A pocket is sewn to the nightgown on the back between the shoulder blades, into which a round object is placed, for example, a walnut or a golf ball. It is impossible to sleep on such a “pea”; a snorer is forced to sleep on his side, preserving his health and the sleep of those around him.

Acupressure and special anti-snoring ring

Acupressure is performed with warmed hands and fingertips - this is quick, deep pressure for seconds on the special points indicated in the figure. It should be performed regularly both for the treatment of snoring and for prevention; it increases muscle tone, helps normalize sleep, and reduces the degree of blockage of the airways. In addition, you can put a special ring on your little finger at night with 2 bulges on the inside, which press on such points on the finger, simulating acupressure (see anti-snoring ring).

Medicines for snoring - treatment of snoring with tablets

Goal: reduce swelling of the mucous membrane and increase its tone

Pros: simple, not expensive, convenient

Cons: restrictions for allergy sufferers, have contraindications, cannot be used without a doctor’s prescription, strict course and dosage, there is no “magic” pill for snoring.

Medicines used to treat snoring:

  • Treatment with local corticosteroids in a certain course in the form of inhalations. Used for enlarged tonsils and allergies. Local hormonal agents reduce inflammation of the mucous membrane and locally reduce swelling.
  • Drops or aerosols with herbal components that increase the tone of the mucous membrane and reduce the vibrations of the walls during sleep. However, these products have a high risk of causing allergies and are not very effective.

Special devices - mouth guard, pacifier orthoses for snoring

Devices placed in the mouth or nose of a snorer - orthoses, mouth guards - expand the lumen of the airways by moving the jaw forward during sleep. They have different designs (adjustable or not, individual or standard), but have extremely low efficiency and are not suitable for everyone. Not everyone can sleep with something in their mouth. They mainly help those who have a deep bite and a small lower jaw. Considering the possible “customer base” (every third adult), such devices in most cases are a “money scam.” Plus, if your device gets lost or broken, your snoring will return.

Purpose: increase the clearance between the walls of the respiratory tract

Pros: few contraindications, convenient to use while traveling

Cons: not used in children, it takes at least 2 weeks to get used to (many people cannot get used to it at all), unpleasant sensations in the joints and muscles of the jaw.

Surgery

Goal: expansion of the lumen and elimination of movement of the soft palate

Pros: if the only cause of snoring is eliminated, then there may be a good effect

Disadvantages: many contraindications, high risk of complications, painful recovery period, for several causes of snoring - ineffective.

  • 80% - for uncomplicated snoring
  • 50% - for mild OSA
  • less than 20% - with severe OSA

Allows you to make the soft palate more dense so that it sag less during sleep. To do this, the palate is exposed to laser or liquid nitrogen (cryoplasty), and scarring processes develop in it. Some doctors practice surgical cutting off the uvula. No surgical method provides a complete cure, much less a 100% guarantee.

If a patient is diagnosed with several disorders - obesity with a deviated nasal septum, hypothyroidism and smoking, micrognathia and neuromuscular diseases, etc., then surgical treatment not only may not be effective, but can also cause complications, even death.

The American Academy of Medicine has recognized the use of laser surgery on the palate for sleep apnea as ineffective and contrary to the interests of patients.

Types of surgical intervention depend on the cause of snoring:

  • Elimination of the consequences of rhinitis - submucosal osteoconchotomy
  • Removal of obstructions: adenoidectomy (adenoids), tonsillectomy (tonsils), uvulectomy (uvula), polypectomy (polyps)
  • Plastic surgery of the walls of the respiratory tract - uvuloplasty, uvulopalatoplasty, plastic surgery of the nasal septum or nasal valves,
  • Reducing the size of the tongue
  • Sealing the soft palate to reduce vibration - soft palate implants

Treating snoring is not as simple as it might seem. Don't trust neighbors, girlfriends or colleagues. Seek help from a qualified ENT doctor or sleep specialist.

Hello! I want to carry out a professional diagnosis to find out the cause of snoring. I suspect that it looks like chronic rhinitis or the presence of adenoids, enlarged tonsils? When you have a runny nose, the liquid does not come out of the nose but flows (constantly, continuously) down the back wall... Swallowing functions cannot cope and the sensation that the liquid is between the nose and throat…..I’m tired. Help! I’m on the verge of divorce…

Natalya, good afternoon! I had the same thing. If you haven't solved the problem yet, write to me.

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