More than half of all adults snore while they sleep. For some, snoring becomes such a problem it can be the cause of other health issues. Keep reading to learn more about what snoring says about your health.
Does snoring affect your sleep? Dr. Jarl Bunæs at Bærum Plastikkirurgi is a highly-renowned surgeon with extensive experience on snore operations. Get in touch if you need help finding out what your snoring is trying to tell you.
What is Snoring?
Snoring is a common phenomenon, especially in adult or older men. Overweight and smoking can aggravate snoring, while weight loss can lead to less snoring. For some, the problem is solved by sleeping on their side.
If you snore so loudly it interferes with your sleep or your partner’s sleep, it’s become a health issue that can lead to other problems. You may wake up feeling tired and fatigued, or experience lack of concentration and headaches during the day.
Why Do We Snore?
During your sleep, the throat muscles relax and the passage in the respiratory tract gets narrower. If the airflow is blocked, this can lead to vibrations in the soft tissue of the uvula, throat, and pharyngeal wall. The vibrations can cause sound – in some cases, a lot of sound. If you tend to get nasal congestion while you sleep, this can make the problem even worse.
Manner of snoring varies from person to person. Some are plainly equipped with a narrow respiratory tract, thus being more prone to loud snoring that may disturb their partner. This is called social snoring and is not to be confused with sleep apnea.
Why Sleep Apnea Must be Ruled Out
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a potentially serious sleep disorder. The condition is often accompanied by respiratory stop during sleep, which can lead to increased risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Do you feel tired and unwell when you wake up and suspect you are suffering from sleep apnea? Ask your partner to observe you while you’re sleeping to find out if the airways are blocked and if your breathing stops during sleep. If you suffer from sleep apnea, you may also make choking or gasping sounds during your sleep.
If your partner observes any of these symptoms, you need an examination at a hospital. Sleep apnea can be treated by wearing a mouthpiece, using a CPAP sleep mask, or through surgery.
Social Snoring
If there’s no blockage of air supply, but your snoring is so loud it disturbs both your partner and yourself, you may have a common condition called social snoring. This can be caused by a number of anatomical conditions that reduce the opening between the thrush and pharyngeal wall. Some of these are:
- Large tonsils
- Blocked nose
- Deviated septum
- Polyps (nasal polyps)
Fortunately, this can be treated with a snoring operation.
Snoring Operation
A snoring operation aims to increase the distance between the soft tissues in your mouth and throat. The operation is usually executed by using radio waves or laser to tighten the soft tissue.
The result is free airflow, less vibration, lower sounds, reduced health risks, and greater peace between you and your partner.
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