Causes of snoring in women over 50 years of age

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What to do, how to treat snoring in women?

Snoring or rhonchopathy is a disorder of respiratory function that produces a low vibrating sound from 40 to 100 dB, depending on the degree of pathology. When you inhale or exhale, the soft palate, pharynx and uvula vibrate, which is the source of low-frequency sounds called snoring.

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Every fifth woman after 40 years suffers from this chronic progressive disease. One out of ten divorces is due to the wife's snoring. In addition to moral and ethical suffering, wheezing during sleep indicates health problems.

Snoring - medical rhonchopathy

Ronchopathy has three degrees of severity:

  • mild (snoring only on the back);
  • moderate (snoring in any position, but not every day with manifestations of apnea);
  • severe (loud constant snoring with attacks of suffocation during the night).

Main causes of snoring

The causes of snoring can be divided into several groups:

  1. Anatomical, including:
  • deformation of the nasal septum;
  • underdeveloped lower jaw;
  • acquired adhesions in the nasal cavity;
  • tongue hypertrophy;
  • collapse of the wings of the nose;
  • deposition of adipose tissue in the pharynx.
  1. Pathological, namely:
  • chronic diseases of the nasopharynx;
  • hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils;
  • hypothyroidism;
  • neoplasms in the upper respiratory tract;
  • postoperative scars on the soft palate.
  1. Physiological, including:
  • decreased tone of the facial muscles;
  • impaired contractility of the muscles of the upper respiratory tract.
  1. Bad habits:
  • smoking;
  • alcohol;
  1. Extreme fatigue.

Treatment for snoring depends on the underlying cause. It takes a lot of time, effort and does not always have a positive result. It is much easier to prevent the occurrence of this pathology if a woman devotes a little time to herself for daily exercise, then the question of how a woman can avoid snoring in her sleep can be resolved by itself.

Prevention of snoring

Based on the factors listed above, it is possible to determine a list of preventive measures that reduce the risk of night wheezing. So, let's look at what to do to prevent a woman from snoring while sleeping.

First of all, you need to get rid of bad habits. Cigarette smoke dries the mucous tissue of the nasopharynx, causing irritation and inflammation, thereby narrowing the windpipe. Alcohol causes excessive relaxation of all muscles, including respiratory muscles, which is accompanied by snoring.

Following a diet will allow you to get rid of excess fat not only on the stomach, hips, arms and chest, but also on the chin, neck and throat.

If you have a runny nose or sore throat, be sure to moisten your nasal passages with salt water and gargle with cool water and a drop of mint oil.

Accustom yourself to sleep on your side, raising the head of the bed, using orthopedic pillows.

Exercises are effective for the facial muscles that carry out the movements of the tongue, palate, and larynx.

Tongue exercises

  • Closing your eyes, make rotational movements with your tongue or twist it to the right, then to the left. Repeat once morning and evening.
  • Squeeze a hard object tightly in your teeth and tense the back wall of your tongue at least 30 times, pulling it towards your throat.
  • Stick your tongue out as far as possible at least 20 times, then repeat the movement in reverse.

Exercises for the soft palate

  • Pinch your nostril and forcefully exhale air through the other nostril 15 times. Change nostril. Do this procedure before going to bed.
  • With effort, pronounce the sound “i” from the depths of the throat. Repeat at least 40 times during the day. You can sing.
  • Whistle.

Breathing exercises and yoga have a positive effect on all muscle groups, including respiratory ones, and are especially recommended for mature women.

Surgical intervention for congenital or acquired deformation of the external nose also refers to preventive measures to prevent snoring.

In cases where snoring already causes a sleep disorder and has an impact on health, it is necessary to see a specialist: a somnologist, otolaryngologist, with consultation with an endocrinologist, therapist and pulmonologist.

Diagnosis of snoring

An examination is necessary to identify the cause and determine treatment methods for rhonchopathy.

Examination of the nasopharynx using endoscopy and anthropometry allows us to identify the causes of respiratory obstruction.

Laboratory blood tests for hemoglobin and red blood cells, as well as the content of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood are biological markers that help determine the degree of hypoxemia (low oxygen content in the blood).

Depending on the identified disorders, medical treatments are prescribed.

Medical supplies

Medical treatments mean:

  • conservative therapy;
  • surgical intervention.

Conservative therapy

Female snoring can be treated with medicinal and non-medicinal methods that alleviate the patient’s condition. Antidepressants, diuretics, respiratory and muscle tone stimulants are considered traditional medicine. Non-pharmacological means are devices that prevent tongue retraction due to an open mouth, such as cervical collars, mandibular braces.

Surgery

Surgical methods are used when respiratory function is impaired due to anatomical abnormalities. The most effective method of surgical intervention in the treatment of snoring is surgery to remove the uvula, part of the soft palate and tonsils (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty). In addition, resection of nasal septums, adhesions in the nasal cavity, and removal of polyps and adenoids are indicated.

Invasive techniques are also used: cryodestruction (exposure to cold on the uvula, palate and tonsils to reduce their size); laser and radiofrequency incisions on the soft palate (scars formed as a result of burns tighten the soft palate).

All these procedures are painful, and surgery requires hospitalization. Their use is necessary for serious complications caused by second and third degree rhonchopathy. The initial stage of snoring can be cured using traditional medicine.

Folk remedies

An open mouth during snoring causes the larynx to dry out. To prevent snoring during sleep, traditional medicine recommends softening the mucous membranes of the pharynx.

Freshly squeezed cabbage juice with honey (for 1 glass of juice, 1 teaspoon of honey) or cabbage puree with honey has a coating effect on the windpipe. The course of treatment is 1 month.

You can relieve dry nose with sea buckthorn oil by dropping 1 drop 4 hours before bedtime.

Baked carrots, as well as a mixture of garlic and lemon (3 lemons for 2 heads of garlic) help relieve inflammation in the throat. Should be taken before meals in the morning and evening, 1 tbsp.

For colds in the nasopharynx, gargling with tincture of oak bark and calendula will help. To do this, oak and calendula bark are infused for an hour under a lid at the rate of 1 tbsp. bark and 1 tbsp calendula per 0.5 liters of boiling water. Use after meals and before bedtime.

Recent medical developments are also aimed at stopping attacks of ronchopathy at the initial stage.

Modern devices and drugs

The study of the mechanism of snoring has led to the emergence of remedies that help solve problems with oxygen starvation and narrowing of the airways.

SPAP therapy is a method of forced ventilation. The device, equipped with a microprocessor, provides air supply during sleep, preventing apnea and its consequences. Disadvantage: expensive, for hospital conditions, effective only with constant use.

Anti-snoring silicone clips promise to solve the problem in 1-2 weeks. The principle of action is to widen the nasal passages. Helps a small percentage of patients who have anatomical features in the form of congenital narrowed nasal canals.

Snorex spray is used when the cause of snoring is a cold in the form of a runny nose or swelling of the nasal cavity. It contains calendula, sage and propolis. These natural preparations have anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and bactericidal properties. Positive results when using the medicine according to the instructions: irrigation of the oral cavity in the morning, afternoon and before bed.

The relevance of snoring treatment for women

Ronchopathy is a progressive disease.

Frequent apneas will lead to hypoxemia, which in turn will create the preconditions for diseases of the cardiovascular system: hypertension, arrhythmia, heart failure. Stopping breathing can cause sudden death during sleep.

For women, treating snoring, in addition to maintaining health, is important for ethical, moral and sexual reasons. Snoring automatically reduces the sexual attractiveness of your wife and girlfriend. The lack of sleep of loved ones due to a woman’s fault makes her suffer because of the feeling of guilt in front of them. The circle of communication is narrowed so as not to become the subject of discussion and ridicule. In general, this leads to decreased self-esteem and dissatisfaction with one’s life.

Source: http://hraponetka.ru/kak-lechit-hrap-u-zhenshhin/

Why does snoring occur in women and how to deal with it?

Snoring in women is one of the common causes of constant lack of sleep and fatigue. Although snoring is considered a harmless phenomenon, it causes serious inconvenience to the person and others.

Why does snoring occur?

Experts identify the following causes of snoring in women:

  • uncomfortable sleeping position;
  • being overweight;
  • drinking alcohol before going to bed;
  • anatomical pathologies;
  • enlarged adenoids;
  • inflammation in the larynx and ear;
  • allergy;
  • enlarged tonsils;
  • malocclusion;
  • smoking;
  • deviated nasal septum;
  • age (after 50 years);
  • psychosomatic disorders.

As a person ages, various changes occur in the body, including the muscle tissue of the respiratory tract becoming less elastic and beginning to sag. For this reason, snoring occurs in many women after 40 years of age.

Unlike men, a woman’s temple can arise against an emotional background

Frequent stressful situations and emotional overstrain in most cases are the cause of snoring in women. A man will not snore at night if he previously had problems at work or in his personal life. The female body, on the contrary, reacts sharply to any unpleasant and irritating factors. In this case, to eliminate snoring you will need to solve all psychosomatic problems.

The causes of snoring in young women are:

  • obesity;
  • congenital features in the structure of the nasopharynx;
  • enlarged tonsil and adenoids;
  • smoking;
  • alcohol abuse.

Note! If a woman is bothered by snoring even after changing her body position, then this may be a symptom of cardiovascular disease.

Heavy snoring can increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and coronary heart disease. Therefore, such a problem should not be neglected and treatment should not be started in a timely manner.

Complications

It happens that snoring leads to quite serious pathologies. It is especially dangerous if snoring is one of the signs of sleep apnea. It is characterized by cessation of breathing, which can last for several minutes and occur 10 to 20 times within 1 hour.

Night snoring is not harmless; it can cause headaches, memory loss, and heart rhythm disturbances.

Constant snoring at night provokes headaches, reduces memory, disrupts heart rhythm and leads to the fact that the blood does not receive enough oxygen. All this can lead to stroke, heart attack or even death.

Drug treatment of snoring in women

Often, to get rid of snoring, doctors prescribe sprays, aerosols and nasal drops. They are designed to facilitate nasal breathing and eliminate swelling of the mucous membranes. The most popular drugs are Slipex, Snorex and Sominorm. Doctor Snoring, based on medicinal herbs, and Nasonex, which has an antiallergic effect, are also often prescribed.

Slipex

Slipex is a medicine based on wintergreen and peppermint essential oils. It has a local tonic and antiseptic effect. The active ingredients of Slipex increase the muscle tone of the soft palate and uvula, thereby reducing the intensity of snoring. The drug also relieves the inflammatory process thanks to the methyl ester of salicylic acid included in the composition.

Snorex

Snorex is a drug based on natural ingredients that facilitates breathing, increases muscle tone and elasticity, reduces the secretion of mucous membranes and prevents serious snoring complications. Snorex contains the following active components:

  1. Sage. Eliminates tissue swelling, normalizes blood circulation in the respiratory system.
  2. Calendula. It has an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effect, destroys pathogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity and nasopharynx.
  3. Propolis. It has a general strengthening and tonic effect and prevents apnea.

Snorex - created on the basis of natural ingredients, facilitates breathing, prevents serious complications of snoring

Unlike many anti-snoring remedies, Snorex has virtually no contraindications. The only exception is individual sensitivity to the components of the drug.

Snorex is produced in the form of a spray. The average course of treatment is 30 days.

Sominorm

The action of the drug Sominorm is to relieve the physiological causes of snoring. The drug contains moisturizing and softening components, and tannins provoke tension in the muscles of the larynx and have an antiallergic effect. Sominorm eliminates dry mouth after sleep and stimulates the respiratory muscles. The drug can be taken for a long time and does not cause side effects.

Doctor Snoring

The drug reduces the severity of snoring to a minimum, tones, reduces swelling and irritation of tissues, relieves dry mouth and normalizes breathing. In addition, Doctor Snoring improves immunity, has an antioxidant effect and can be used to prevent caries and periodontal disease.

Doctor Snoring - normalizes breathing, relieves dry mouth, reduces the severity of snoring to a minimum

The drug is produced in the form of a nasal spray and patch. It contains essential oils, vitamins B6 and E, citric acid and lecithin. They have a refreshing effect, restore the acid-base balance and kill pathogenic microorganisms.

Nasonex

The drug has antiallergic and anti-inflammatory effects. The active ingredient in Nasonex is mometasone furoate. It is intended for the treatment of seasonal allergies and chronic sinusitis.

Nasonex spray is an antiallergic and anti-inflammatory drug used to treat seasonal allergies and chronic sinusitis

The medicine is released in the form of a spray. It reduces histamine levels, suppresses the activity of eosinophils and relieves inflammation in the nasal mucosa.

Gymnastics

You can get rid of snoring with the help of a set of exercises that should be performed at home:

  1. Push your tongue forward and hold it in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat once during the day.
  2. Press with the tongue of the palate for 1-3 minutes.
  3. Pronounce vowel sounds out loud, tensing your neck muscles.
  4. Press your hand on your chin and move your jaw back and forth.

If you exercise regularly, blood vessels are cleansed of cholesterol deposits, spasms disappear, and breathing is restored.

Folk remedies for snoring in women

According to numerous reviews from people on various forums, snoring can be cured not only with medications, but also with folk remedies.

You can stop snoring with cabbage. It is enough to drink 200 ml of juice before going to bed regularly for 30 days.

Traditional medicine has a wide range of anti-snoring remedies; one of the most famous remedies is sea buckthorn oil.

Baked carrots are considered an effective remedy in the fight against snoring. It is recommended to eat 1 piece 3 times a day an hour before meals. Carrots contain substances that tone the muscles of the soft palate and uvula.

One of the most famous anti-snoring remedies is sea buckthorn oil. It is necessary to instill 2-3 drops into each nostril at night.

If severe snoring is caused by a runny nose in a woman, then healers recommend rinsing the nostrils with sea salt. To do this, mix 10 g of salt in 200 ml of heated water and carry out the procedure.

When the cause of snoring is an excessive amount of mucus in the nasopharynx, you should cleanse the body with a one-day fast. It is advisable to carry it out once a week. On this day you are allowed to drink only water.

Decoctions

It is useful for a person suffering from constant night snoring to take a decoction based on oak bark:

  1. Add 25 g of raw materials to 500 ml of boiling water.
  2. Place on low heat for 25 minutes.
  3. Cool and leave for 2 hours.

At night you should gargle with the resulting infusion. Carry out the procedure until a positive effect appears.

Herbal decoctions and rinses are an effective remedy against women’s night snoring

For the best results from treatment, you can combine oak bark with calendula flowers:

  1. Take 25 g of each component.
  2. Pour 2 cups boiling water.
  3. Leave for 2 hours in a closed container.
  4. Filter.

Gargle after meals and at night.

A woman can get rid of night snoring with the help of a decoction based on black elderberries, dried cinquefoil roots, horsetail and burdock. To do this, you need to perform several steps:

  1. Take all ingredients in equal quantities.
  2. Grind them in a coffee grinder.
  3. Pour 20 g of the resulting mixture with 250 ml of boiling water.
  4. Leave for 1 hour.

Drink 20 ml of decoction at least 5 times a day.

Anti-snoring clips

You can get rid of night discomfort with the help of silicone and magnetic clips. This remedy has a positive effect on nerve endings, preventing the occurrence of snoring.

Note! The magnetic clip is contraindicated for pregnant women and patients with pacemakers or electronic devices in their bodies.

The clip normalizes blood pressure, saturates the blood with oxygen, improves metabolic processes, has a positive effect on the central nervous system and reduces the risk of developing pathologies of the cardiovascular system.

Anti-snoring clips - act on nerve endings and help get rid of nighttime discomfort associated with snoring

The product is easy to use. It must be inserted into the nostrils. According to the instructions, the capsule should be inserted until snoring completely stops bothering the woman. After each use, it is recommended to disinfect the device with alcohol.

It is prohibited to combine the use of the clip with nasal instillation of drops containing oils, for example, Pinosol.

Patch

If snoring occurs due to a deviated nasal septum, then the patch is an effective remedy in the fight against the pathological condition. This device is safe, easy to use and suitable for people with a runny nose caused by a cold.

The patch is a safe and easy-to-use solution to combat snoring.

Before use, the protective film must be removed from the patch. The device is then attached to the wings of the nose. After waking up, the product should be peeled off. Plasters can only be used once.

Laser therapy

To correct the shape of the palate and eliminate snoring, experts recommend laser treatment. It is performed quickly and painlessly under local anesthesia, does not cause bleeding and does not require a long recovery period.

The only disadvantage of laser therapy is its high cost. It is justified by the use of expensive equipment required for therapy. To completely get rid of snoring, you will need 2-3 sessions, which will cost a person an average of thousands of rubles.

Prevention

To prevent snoring, you should follow these rules:

  1. The head should be elevated while sleeping.
  2. Do not take sleeping pills, sedatives or antihistamines before bed.
  3. Do not drink alcoholic beverages at night.
  4. Get rid of excess weight.
  5. Limit consumption of foods high in fat.
  6. Add garlic, horseradish and black pepper to your diet.
  7. Open the window to ventilate the room during sleep, humidify the air using special humidifiers.
  8. Eliminate all sources of stressful situations.
  9. Do yoga and meditate.
  10. Spend more time outdoors.

Source: http://simptom-lechenie.ru/prichiny-i-lechenie-xrapa-u-zhenshhin.html

Snoring in women: causes, danger and help

When we hear the word “snoring,” our imagination immediately pictures a well-fed man of about fifty sleeping soundly, with loud whistling and other various sounds. In most cases this is true! Snoring occurs more often in men. According to statistics, approximately 40% of the stronger sex after 35 years suffer from rhonchopathy (snoring). Nevertheless, snoring in women, although less common, is often unbearable, persistent and difficult to treat.

Snoring is common not only among men, but also among women

What is it, from a physiological point of view, why do women snore and how to treat it? Snoring is a specific sound that appears when the soft palate, uvula and walls of the pharynx collapse (stick together) during sleep. Air flow is difficult to pass through the narrowed airways, causing them to vibrate.

Causes of female snoring

So, the causes of snoring in women (ronchopathy):

  • At a young age, these are most likely anatomical individual features of the structure of the pharyngeal ring (too narrow nasal passages, small distance between the uvula and the root of the tongue). Often happens to girls.
  • Injuries leading to a deviated nasal septum with narrowing of the nasal cavities.
  • Inflammatory diseases (rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, polyps in the nasal cavity, mucosal hyperplasia as a result of frequent acute respiratory infections or long-term use of vasoconstrictor drugs such as Naphthyzin).
  • Taking muscle relaxants (Sirdalud, Mydocalm), tranquilizers (Phenazepam, Grandaxin, Afobazol), sedatives and hypnotics (Donormil, Novo-Passit). These groups of drugs excessively relax the muscles of the airways, leading to snoring. A similar effect can cause sleep in a state of extreme fatigue or after drinking alcohol.
  • Sleeping on your back at night without a pillow (recession of the tongue and drooping of the palate due to gravity).
  • Obesity in most cases is the cause of snoring due to the deposition of fat in the submucosal layer and its thickening.

Excess weight is one of the causes of snoring in women

  • In old age, tissue tone decreases, they become more flabby, so night singing appears more and more often.
  • Hormonal changes in women (especially pregnancy, menopause) can increase snoring. This happens due to a decrease in estrogen, decreased tone and swelling of the pharyngeal tissue.
  • Diabetes mellitus, thyroid dysfunction, and some autoimmune diseases also cause snoring.

A snoring person never hears himself snoring!

Complications of snoring in women

Many of us know what it's like to sleep with someone who snores heavily. The sleep is shallow, it’s hard to fall asleep, and in the morning you feel very tired and weak. Perhaps this is not the worst thing! Why can snoring be dangerous in women? The snorer himself, although he does not hear his own sounds, suffers no less from this condition. The fact is that during sleep, with a significant collapse of the walls of the respiratory tract, the access of air to the lungs is completely blocked. A state of temporary cessation of breathing occurs – apnea. It is believed that there can be up to 400 such episodes in one night! Each breath hold lasts up to 30 seconds. It can be calculated that the maximum a person can do without breathing is more than 3 hours.

Sleep apnea is dangerous due to nighttime heart attacks and strokes

As you know, our brain is very sensitive to lack of oxygen. And here it’s 3 hours without him! And so every night. What does this mean in the end? Regularly lacking oxygen, the body experiences chronic hypoxia, responding to it with increased blood pressure, arrhythmias, and constriction of the heart vessels and meningeal arteries. That's why it's so dangerous!

Complications of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome:

  • Myocardial infarction.
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular accident).
  • Malignant hypertension.
  • Coronary heart disease (angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation).
  • Fatigue, daytime sleepiness, headache.
  • Changes in blood parameters (increased concentration of hemoglobin and red blood cells).
  • Sudden death during sleep from cardiac arrest.

Diagnosis of snoring

It is not difficult. Loud sounds, a constantly open mouth during sleep, episodes of respiratory arrest, a feeling of lack of air, a feeling of fear, drowsiness during the day - all this indicates the presence of snoring in a woman. Additionally, they examine the nasal cavity, pharynx and larynx, the level of blood oxygen saturation, and questioning the patient himself. If necessary, consultation with narrow specialists is carried out.

Patients suffering from snoring are consulted with an otolaryngologist

Methods to combat female snoring

Treatment methods will directly depend on the cause of snoring during sleep in women. First of all, lifestyle changes common to all patients are carried out, including:

  • Mandatory weight loss.
  • Avoiding the use of sleeping pills, tranquilizers and alcoholic beverages (especially before bedtime), and smoking.
  • Special daily exercises to improve the tone of the muscles of the tongue, pharynx, and soft palate.
  • Sleeping without a pillow or even lying on your back should be avoided. It is preferable to sleep on your side, or at least on your stomach, if there are no contraindications.
  • By observing these conditions, a woman can eliminate snoring on her own in 50% of cases.

Anti-inflammatory treatment

If necessary (rhinitis, sinusitis), courses of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy are carried out to relieve swelling, inflammation, and thickening of the mucosa. For allergic diseases, new generation antihistamines are prescribed (they do not have the side effect of drowsiness), as well as local hormonal sprays for a long period of time.

If after a course of treatment hyperplasia of the nasal or sinus mucosa persists, then the issue of cauterizing it with silver is decided to restore nasal breathing.

CPAP therapy

Hardware treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

This method of treating snoring was proposed back in 1981 and is still very successful. Its essence is to provide a special compressor with a flow of air under pressure entering the respiratory tract during sleep. The so-called inflation prevents their collapse and the occurrence of snoring with apnea syndrome. Humidified and heated air is supplied through the mask. CPAP therapy is not performed in patients with a mild form of snoring and without clinical manifestations (daytime sleepiness, memory impairment, hypertension, insomnia, arrhythmia, stroke or heart attack).

Silence forte

A new drug in the form of a spray for topical use. Contains natural plant extracts, envelops the tissues of the pharynx, preventing them from sticking together, reduces the volume of snoring, has an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect, and removes swelling of the vocal folds.

The drug has no effect on apnea!

Surgery

Indicated in cases where the cause of snoring in women is a severe curvature of the nasal septum, polyps, adhesions (synechias), enlarged tonsils or adenoids, prolapse and overhang of the soft palate for any other reasons. In most cases, they do:

  • Tonsillectomy, adenectomy.
  • Polypectomy, dissection of synechiae in the nasal cavity.
  • Resection of the inferior concha.
  • Alignment of the nasal septum (plastic).
  • Strengthening the walls of the pharynx is carried out by suturing the palatine arches with the underlying structures.

After surgical treatment, the patient remains in the hospital for an average of 7 days, followed by follow-up with an ENT doctor at the place of residence with an extension of the home regime.

Recently, in otorhinolaryngology, such methods of treating female snoring as:

  • Somnoplasty (exposure to radiofrequency energy on the tissues of the soft palate, due to which the structures are heated and their volume decreases in the future).
  • Laser exposure to the palate (evaporation of mucous membranes at high temperatures). A thermal burn tightens the tissue after a couple of weeks due to scarring. A very aggressive but effective procedure (snoring disappears in 85% of cases).
  • Cryodestruction of soft palate tissue (the principle of operation is the same as that of a laser, only at low temperature).

Using the methods listed above, you can cure uncomplicated snoring without obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Treatment of endocrine disorders

During menopause, it is advisable for women to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy with estrogen to improve well-being, as well as eliminate or reduce the severity of snoring. In pregnant women, due to high levels of progesterone and swelling of the nasal passages, snoring is a temporary condition. A few weeks after birth, all phenomena disappear without a trace.

Pregnancy causes a number of changes in the body, which, in turn, can lead to snoring.

Disorders of the thyroid and pancreas glands are corrected by specialized specialists, and an endocrinologist also deals with this problem. Homeopathy and traditional methods of treatment have not gained sufficient popularity and effect in the treatment of rhonchopathy.

Now it is clear why women snore, and that this is not such a harmless thing as it seems at first glance. This disease has a lot of causes and complications, so it would be best to entrust the diagnosis, and even more so the treatment of the disease, to a specialist. Only by understanding all the nuances and factors that lead to snoring can you choose the right therapy and get rid of nighttime singing forever.

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Why do women over fifty snore?

Snoring, like other sounds, is produced by vibration of the structures of the pharynx. It disturbs others and can have consequences for the snorer himself. Breathing disorders during sleep occur in half the population. Most of them are older people. The causes of snoring during sleep in women over 50 years of age are age-related changes in the tissues of the pharynx. In addition, breathing problems are often caused by other diseases and are one of the symptoms.

Snoring is a problem that impairs the quality of sleep, both for the snorer himself and for the people around him. It is more common in men. The mechanism of snoring is associated with pathological relaxation of the muscles of the pharynx, due to which the uvula and soft palate move closer to the back wall of the pharynx. When breathing, they begin to vibrate, creating a characteristic sound. Snoring is often complicated by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is a condition that lasts from a few seconds to several minutes. Sleep apnea occurs when the walls of the throat completely collapse and block the respiratory lumen. The body tries to take a breath, but these attempts are unsuccessful. After some time, the brain activates stress mechanisms that restore muscle tone.

Read more about the mechanisms of snoring and sleep apnea syndrome in the article: How to deal with snoring: methods of diagnosis and treatment.

In old age, involutive processes occur in the human body, which increase the risk of snoring and sleep apnea syndrome. First of all, this is due to the fact that after 40 years, muscle tissue in the human body begins to lose physiological tone. Such changes occur not only in skeletal muscles, but also in smooth muscle tissues. This leads to the approach of the tissues of the oropharynx to the posterior wall and narrowing of the respiratory space. In the structures of the nasopharynx and oropharynx, atrophy of the mucous membranes occurs. The older a person gets, the more chronic diseases manifest themselves. Many people suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Particularly pronounced manifestations are observed in experienced smokers. In addition to age-related changes in the human body, snoring occurs in patients with risk factors. These include:

  • Drinking alcoholic beverages. Ethanol causes muscle relaxation, increasing vibration of the pharyngeal tissues and exacerbating snoring during sleep.
  • Smoking. Cigarette smoke contains nicotine and tar. Nicotine causes vasoconstriction in the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. This leads to impaired blood circulation in them. Resins have an irritant effect and can cause inflammation. The combination of these two components provokes swelling and breathing problems.
  • Excess body weight. In obesity, adipose tissue begins to be deposited in the tissues of the pharynx, compressing its walls. This leads to a decrease in lumen diameter.
  • Taking sleeping pills, tranquilizers, sedatives. One of the pharmacological effects of all these drugs is muscle hypotension.

It should also be taken into account that the frequency and severity of snoring during sleep is influenced by body position. Sleeping on your back has been shown to significantly worsen respiratory problems. This is due to the fact that with this position, the soft palate and uvula, under the influence of gravity, move closer to the back wall of the pharynx.

Snoring during sleep is often a symptom of other diseases. Its treatment in such cases will be ineffective until the underlying pathological process is eliminated. The table shows the pathologies that are accompanied by snoring and the mechanism of its formation:

Mechanism of snoring development

A pathological condition that is caused by insufficient function of the thyroid gland. Metabolic disorders lead to a predominance of anabolism over catabolism. In this case, obesity and swelling of soft tissues develop. They compress the structures of the pharynx

Deviated nasal septum

Pathology of the nasal septum leads to changes in breathing. Smooth air flow often turns turbulent. This leads to additional vibration of the soft palate and uvula and the appearance or worsening of snoring

The second type often develops against the background of obesity in people over fifty years of age. And it, according to an already known mechanism, provokes snoring

Inflammation of the tonsils leads to their swelling and increase in size. In this case, free breathing is impaired. The proliferation of lymphoid tissue pushes the structures of the oropharynx towards the posterior wall of the pharynx

The anaphylactic type is often accompanied by swelling of the mucous membrane of the oropharynx and hypopharynx. With allergies, the respiratory lumen narrows to a significant extent, up to complete occlusion.

Sinusitis and ethmoiditis cause inflammation and swelling of the membranes of the nasal cavity. Traditional breathing becomes impossible, and the person begins to breathe through the mouth. This causes snoring

Proliferation of the mucous membrane into the nasal cavity. The mechanism of development of snoring is similar to that of sinusitis

Breathing disorders occur with congenital malformations of the nasopharyngeal structures. These include an elongated tongue, pathologies of the bite and soft palate.

Important! If you have symptoms of an allergic reaction of the anaphylactic type: itching, redness, hypotension, breathing problems, you should immediately seek medical help.

Self-diagnosing snoring during sleep is problematic. With sleep apnea, even when a person wakes up and goes back to sleep, he does not remember what happened. There are symptoms that may indicate that you are snoring. These include:

  • Chronic fatigue, decreased ability to work.
  • Daytime sleepiness, regardless of sleep duration.
  • Frequent headaches.
  • Increased irritability, depression.
  • Frequent trips to the toilet at night.
  • Increase in body weight.

You can ask a loved one to watch you sleep. In this case, you need to pay attention to the position in which snoring occurs, whether periods of apnea are present and what their duration is.

If you notice snoring or other breathing problems during sleep, you should consult a specialist. There is a special doctor who deals with problems of this kind - a somnologist. The specialty is new, and there are very few such doctors. Therefore, if it is not possible to consult a somnologist, you should contact your family doctor. To facilitate the diagnostic process, before visiting a specialist, it is recommended to undergo a special test that assesses the severity of daytime sleepiness. This technique is called "Epworth". A person evaluates the likelihood of falling asleep during certain types of activities on a scale from 0 to 3 points.

  • 0 – minimal probability of falling asleep.
  • 1 – low risk.
  • 2 – moderate risk.
  • High probability of falling asleep.

Situations for assessment are shown in the table:

Risk of falling asleep (person marks from 0 to 3 points)

Inactive sitting in a public place

Passenger in a moving car

Rest lying down during the day

Quiet sitting after lunch without alcohol

In the car, stopped in traffic for a few minutes

After the points are assigned, they are counted. A score from 0 to 9 means moderate sleepiness, severe sleepiness, and more than 15 means excessive sleepiness. The result of this test must be provided to your doctor.

The following examinations will help you find out why women and men over forty snore:

  • General blood and urine analysis.
  • Blood chemistry.
  • Polysomnography.
  • Spirometry.
  • Pulse oximetry.
  • X-ray of the skull.
  • CT scan.
  • Videoendoscopy of the nasopharynx.
  • Rhinoscopy.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging.

After conducting examinations and identifying the cause of respiratory disorders, a treatment method is chosen together with a specialized specialist.

All snoring treatment methods are divided into three areas. The first is lifestyle modification. The second is the use of devices and devices. The third is surgical treatment. Lifestyle changes are guaranteed to reduce the level of breathing disorders during sleep. To get rid of snoring, you must adhere to the following rules:

  • Do not drink alcohol less than three hours before bedtime.
  • Do not use sedatives, sleeping pills, or tranquilizers before going to bed.
  • Minimize smoking or stop smoking altogether.
  • Get rid of excess weight.
  • Avoid contact with substances that cause allergies.
  • Sleep on your side or stomach.

Anti-snoring devices include intranasal devices, intraoral devices, special clothing, bandages and pillows. Unfortunately, they do not eliminate the cause of snoring, but only reduce the symptoms. Surgical correction involves removal of nasal polyps, plastic surgery of the septum, correction of the elongated uvula and soft palate.

Folk methods of combating snoring involve the use of extracts from various types of plants. Their properties consist of providing an anti-inflammatory and anti-edematous effect. To get rid of snoring that occurs due to a stuffy nose, it is recommended to use sea buckthorn oil. The drug is instilled into both nostrils before bedtime. Peppermint has the same properties.

For sinusitis and other inflammatory processes, it is recommended to consume foods containing large amounts of vitamin C. This will help strengthen the immune system and more effectively combat snoring. In the comprehensive treatment of breathing problems during sleep, it is necessary to include breathing exercises. It strengthens the muscles of the pharynx, restoring their tone and helps expand the respiratory lumen.

Snoring (ronchopathy) is a common problem.

". A happy child is, first of all.

If your child snores, you need to find out.

Many people have trouble getting a good night's sleep, and there's a reason for this.

Healthy and adequate sleep is an important component.

The information on the site is provided solely for popular informational purposes, does not claim to be reference or medical accuracy, and is not a guide to action. Do not self-medicate. Consult your healthcare provider.

Source: http://simptomyinfo.ru/stati/xrap/315-prichiny-xrapa-vo-sne-u-zhenshhin-posle-50-let.html

Snoring in women: causes and treatment

Women's snoring and sleep apnea are not uncommon. Of course, women snore somewhat less often than men, but the problem of snoring is not something unusual or exceptional. And the question of how to deal with snoring, in fact, often interests women much more than men. But if the struggle with male snoring is a common thing, then very few ladies are ready to publicly admit that they also snore loudly in their sleep to a stranger, even a doctor, and even more so, to agree that they need help in getting rid of from snoring: snoring is so rude and unfeminine!

Psychological aspect of female snoring

If a man snores, this, according to many, is an inconvenient, but quite natural feature for the stronger sex, which can be tolerated or somehow adapted to. If we are talking about apnea - stopping breathing during sleep, which often occurs in snorers, then treating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with a CPAP machine in men is also a completely logical solution to the problem and a completely acceptable, one might even say brutal, procedure.

But when a husband tells his wife that she snored loudly, the wife may simply be offended by him. If the problem is obvious, then women often make significant restrictions, embarrassed to spend the night at a party, travel on a train, stay with colleagues and friends in the same hotel room, which inevitably affects their quality of life. After all, for a woman, snoring is akin to a serious physical disability that she is ashamed of. And he can put off solving the problem for a long time, pretending that it simply does not exist. But the problem is not only psycho-emotional: the physiological aspects of female snoring are quite real, and its consequences are just as serious and no less dangerous than in men.

Causes of snoring in women

In most women who snore, it appears during menopause and menopause, that is, after years. Moreover, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in women over fifty is not much less common than in men. These changes are based on a change in the balance in the female hormonal sphere: a decrease in the amount of female sex hormones and, against this background, a relative excess of male hormones. The resulting imbalance changes the functional state of the entire body, including causing a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the upper respiratory tract. The result is the appearance of snoring during this period of life with all the ensuing consequences, including the risk of respiratory arrest and the need to treat sleep apnea.

Additional factors that provoke night snoring in women after forty and aggravate its consequences are:

  • excess weight, which also often appears with age;
  • concomitant endocrine diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and decreased thyroid function - hypothyroidism;
  • anatomical features of the upper respiratory tract, narrowing their lumen (nasal polyps, deviated septum, enlarged tonsils, etc.);
  • abuse of sleeping pills and sedatives, smoking, alcohol.

Therefore, knowing how to deal with snoring and apnea is no less important for women than for their male partners. And taking into account women’s psychology and serious emotional experiences about their “disadvantage,” getting rid of snoring for many of them becomes even more important than for men.

Treatment of snoring and sleep apnea in women

The need to combat snoring and sleep apnea with modern methods, such as CPAP therapy, is dictated primarily by medical reasons. Among them:

  • Stopping breathing during sleep - sleep apnea - in severe cases can cause serious disruption of the cardiovascular system: repeated apneas provoke cardiac arrhythmias, surges in blood pressure up to a hypertensive crisis, and sharply increase the risk of developing a heart attack and stroke;
  • apnea-induced oxygen deprivation of the brain and disturbances and poor quality of sleep lead to deterioration of memory, attention, decreased performance, and severe daytime sleepiness.

Therefore, getting rid of snoring and sleep apnea today is, first of all, preventing its devastating health consequences, including for women.

How to deal with snoring and sleep apnea on your own?

  • Lose excess weight and this is not discussed! Losing weight by 10-20% of the initial excess weight in some cases can relieve you of snoring and sleep apnea without additional treatment procedures.
  • If possible, solve existing hormonal problems with the help of specialists.

But, unfortunately, only a few manage to get rid of snoring and sleep apnea, or at least reduce its harmful effects on the body, in such simple ways. And if the measures taken did not help, then modern CPAP therapy will help treat snoring with apnea.

Medical solution to snoring problem

Today there are several ways to help women and men who snore during their sleep.

  • Mouthguards: special inserts that provide optimal fixation of the jaws during sleep and prevent involuntary narrowing of the airway.

Pros: Reduced intensity and even disappearance of snoring.

Cons: These devices only help in mild cases - there is no hope of treating severe sleep apnea with them. Expensive – a good anti-snoring mouthpiece is made by a qualified dentist from special materials, which is, by definition, very expensive. Using inexpensive ready-made “anti-snoring devices” made on an assembly line, it is almost impossible to get a serious positive result. The need to use such a device every night.

  • Surgery: a radical, but not universal way to treat snoring. Excision and plastic surgery of both the soft palate and some other structures of the pharynx are performed in order to expand and strengthen the lumen of the upper respiratory tract.

Pros: If everything went well, then the question of how to deal with snoring no longer arises.

Cons: Helps only with snoring and mild forms of sleep apnea. There is no guarantee of complete recovery. Like any surgical intervention, there are also a number of contraindications, and the risk of serious complications from a surgical operation has not been canceled.

  • CPAP therapy: the most progressive method of getting rid of snoring and sleep apnea.

Pros: Extremely high efficiency even for the most severe forms of sleep apnea, ease of use, safety, minimum contraindications. Today, CPAP therapy is the only generally accepted method of treating severe forms of sleep apnea - outwardly you no longer snore, but in fact you breathe normally.

Cons: The need to use such a device regularly - at least 4 hours per night, at least 5 nights a week. But is this a high price to pay for restful sleep, health and active longevity?

Thus, there is a solution to the problem of female snoring, but it should begin with a consultation with a sleep specialist. At the beginning, he will give you the correct diagnosis, but the treatment of simple snoring and snoring with apnea will be very different. Then the doctor will suggest the most effective and safe way to get rid of snoring in your case, giving you back the opportunity to sleep well, feel good and always look great.

UNIVERSITY CLINICAL HOSPITAL No. 1

FIRST MOSCOW STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY named after. I. M. Sechenova

Source: http://somnolog-pulmonolog.ru/blog/o-khrape/kogda-khrapyat-zhenshchiny/