Snoring is a word familiar to many. According to statistics, about 20% of the world's population have this habit in their sleep. Why snoring occurs has long been a mystery. In this article, we will tell you more about this phenomenon, why it occurs, and whether there are effective ways to deal with it.
Reasons
In order to cope with this specific sound that accompanies sleep, it is important to understand what causes snoring. This phenomenon occurs when a jet of air passes through the most narrowed airways. In this case, the sections of the pharynx are in contact with each other. Under the influence of the air flow, they begin to vibrate.
The most common causes of snoring are nasal polyps, deviated septum, excess weight, enlarged tonsils.
There are also congenital features that can lead to snoring. This is an elongated palatine uvula, narrowness of the nasal passages, various malocclusion. Why elsesnoring occurs? Among the reasons, experts also identify a decrease in thyroid function, which affects the tone of the muscles of the pharynx. Provoking factors can be fatigue, regular sleep deprivation, taking sleeping pills, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption. All these factors help to answer why men snore.
Age-related changes are of great importance. In older people, the muscles of the larynx and tongue are significantly weakened. This is the reason why snoring occurs with age.
Dangers
This is a phenomenon that many people live with throughout their lives. For most of us, snoring does not pose any he alth risk. However, there are situations in which you should be wary of the occurrence of such a condition.
For example, if snoring occurs during a cold, there is no need to worry. It will pass as soon as the person gets better.
Snoring often wears people out, making them feel overwhelmed during the day. This is due to the fact that during loud snoring, a person unconsciously wakes himself up. For this reason, the brain cannot fully rest during the night. As a result, human performance is significantly reduced.
There are other dangers and troubles that this condition can lead to. For example, if a person does not have a separate bedroom, his loved ones will constantly experience severe discomfort at night. In some cases, this can lead to serious conflicts.
Apnea
The most dangerous consequence to whichcan lead to snoring, this is sleep apnea. This is what is called holding the breath in sleep. During the night, this condition can be observed several times. The consequence of this is a decrease in the level of oxygen saturation in the blood.
Apnea tends to occur in people who snore, who are additionally overweight and have a short and thick neck. Men are more inclined towards such attacks. With age, the likelihood of the disease increases. Smokers and hypertensive patients are at risk.
During apnea, the walls of the respiratory tract for various reasons subside, as a result, the access of air to the lungs is finally stopped. Next, a protective reaction occurs, due to which the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood is disturbed. The respiratory center is stimulated, the person takes a breath again. At this moment, alarm signals enter the brain, which contribute to the fact that the sleeper wakes up for a very short time. He himself may not even realize it, but he will awaken dozens of times during one night.
The result is a feeling of weakness, high blood pressure. Perhaps the most dangerous consequences of sleep apnea are heart attacks and nocturnal strokes. There is even a possibility of sudden death in a dream. If a person is diagnosed with sleep apnea, in no case should this be treated negligently. Effective treatment is required.
Diagnosis of snoring
When this condition occurs, it is important to find out what causes snoring. People who are concerned about it should visitotolaryngologist. The doctor will be able to establish the anatomical features of the structure of the respiratory tract. If it turns out that the changes can be corrected, appropriate treatment will be prescribed. It will also help to find the answer to why snoring appears, consultation of an endocrinologist and a therapist.
It is important to establish whether there are complications that can often accompany these conditions, such as pauses in breathing during sleep. For this, a modern study of night sleep is carried out, which is called polysomnography. This method will help you find out why a person snores. During this procedure, numerous devices and sensors are attached to the body, which record respiratory movements, ECG, brain waves, and other important parameters. They are recorded throughout the night. The patient's condition is monitored by specialists. Polysomnography data helps to find out why snoring occurs in a dream, to prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Sleep Study
An otolaryngologist may prescribe an operation on the airways. In such a situation, the patient will additionally need a sleep study. It will answer the question of whether such an operation will hurt. Also, such a diagnosis is carried out after surgery to find out whether a positive result has been achieved. In such a situation, as a rule, they use an abbreviated version of polysomnography, limited only to cardiorespiratory sleep monitoring.
This study no longer requires a large number of sensors, is much cheaper and easier to carry. homeits task is to assess how much the patient's breathing has improved, whether his stops are present. Such a study will not only tell you why snoring occurs, but also help determine the tactics of complex therapy.
Female snoring
Separately, it is worth dwelling on the causes of snoring among the fair sex. As a rule, it appears later than the male. Mostly its occurrence is associated with hormonal changes in the body during menopause. This is the main reason why women snore.
The appearance of this problem in a young girl is minimal. If this still happened, then the reason, most likely, lies in the disease. Here is a list of ailments that lead to snoring:
- Incorrect work of the pituitary gland.
- Endocrine system dysfunction.
- The appearance of polyps in the nose.
- Chronic sinusitis, rhinitis or similar disease.
- Infection of the respiratory tract, accompanied by edema.
- Enlargement of tonsils caused by inflammation.
- Deformation of the nasal septum.
- Pathologies of the structure of the respiratory tract.
- Misalignment of the bite or structure of the jaw.
- Long uvula.
- Age-related changes in the tissues of the nasopharynx.
- Obesity.
- Injuries that caused damage to the nervous system.
This is why women snore. In some cases, the wrong sleeping position may be the cause. Indeed, such situationsare rare. In this case, it is enough to change the position to finally get rid of the problem. At the same time, it is important that the condition does not develop into a chronic one and does not recur.
During pregnancy
Quite often expectant mothers face the problem of snoring. This is an alarming symptom that should not be ignored. There are four main reasons for snoring during pregnancy.
- Weight gain. When the baby grows, the mother also gains extra pounds with him. If during pregnancy a woman eats improperly, for example, regularly overeats, weight gain can be very significant. At the same time, it is no secret that it is difficult for overweight people to breathe in a prone position - excess weight presses on the trachea, throat and lungs.
- Edema during pregnancy appears due to preeclampsia. This is a signal that there are problems in the work of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system. Also, edema provokes the consumption of a large amount of s alty foods, an unbalanced diet. As a result, the weight of the pregnant woman increases significantly, she begins to experience pressure on the respiratory system.
- Snoring can be caused by physiological causes. This is hypertrophy of the tonsils or chronic diseases of the nasopharynx. As a rule, in such a situation, snoring was before, and during pregnancy it intensified.
- Finally, the cause may be rhinitis of pregnancy. Itching, nasal congestion, sneezing - these are all symptoms that are familiar to many new mothers. The cause of rhinitis in this situation is hormonalchanges in the female body due to mucosal edema, deterioration of the vessels. Breathing through the nose becomes difficult. This is what causes snoring.
How to fight
To get rid of this pathological condition, there are many ways. Often prescribed conservative treatment. This may be drug therapy, which is aimed at combating relevant diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. For women, certain medications can help balance hormones.
It won't hurt to rinse your nose with a saline-based solution.
Also, conservative therapy is carried out with the help of various devices that help the patient to take the correct position during sleep. It can be jaw straps, mouthpieces, mouthguards and more.
Surgery
In some situations, you have to resort to minimally invasive surgery. It is required when the uvula is too long, the appearance of polyps, inflammation of the adenoids.
In such cases, laser or radio wave uvulopalatoplasty is used. Such operations are not performed if apnea is diagnosed, since during healing, the swollen mucous membrane can lead to blocking of the air entering the respiratory tract.
CPAP therapy
This is a common modern method, which is based on the creation of positive airway pressure. It is created using a special device.
Air is forced into the airwayspatient under pressure. Air is blown while the person is sleeping to avoid sleep apnea.
This device is a compact device that the patient can put on by himself, but requires adjustment by a medical professional before use.
Baby snoring
If a child has snoring, then most likely the reason is the enlargement and inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsil. This disease is called adenoiditis.
Also, some factors can also influence, such as chronic or acute rhinitis, anatomical features of the structure of the nasopharynx, disorders in the structure of the lower jaw or obesity.
Another reason for children to snore is an uncomfortable position in a stroller or car seat. Depending on the precipitating factor, appropriate treatment is required.
Tips
Sometimes you can get rid of snoring by changing habits or wrong lifestyle. It will decrease if you put a second pillow under your head. Breathing exercises also give good results. Even the usual lowing with exhalation through the nose effectively helps to relieve swelling of the mucous membranes.
Some are advised to massage the larynx. With its help, the muscles are strengthened. You should gently massage the muscles located under the lower jaw, alternately unclenching and squeezing them. When the mouth is open, move the tongue to the right and left.
Singing will help strengthen the muscles of the throat. Performance for half an hour of your favorite songs will notonly pleasant, but also useful for the general he alth of a person, his psychological state.
