In medical parlance, snoring is called ronchopathy. This is a pathological condition that has several degrees of severity. As a rule, complaints of constant snoring come from men, but women and even children often suffer from it. This condition significantly reduces the quality of life of both the patient himself and his loved ones.
What is snoring
Most people do not consider it a disease and do not rush to seek medical help. Contrary to popular belief, snoring is a pathology in which the process of breathing during sleep is very noisy. This disease is not physiological, he althy people do not suffer from it.
Loud unpleasant sounds during breathing occur due to the involuntary relaxation of the structures of the nose and mouth. Under the influence of various factors, soft tissues begin to vibrate, due to which annoying noise appears. As a rule, snoring occurs on inspiration. In some cases, it also accompanies the process of exhaling air.
Most people can't hear their own snoring, but you need to pay attention tothe presence of the following associated symptoms:
- headache;
- restless and interrupted night sleep;
- lethargy and apathy during the daytime;
- shortness of breath;
- difficult nasal breathing;
- feeling broken in the morning.
If these conditions are regular, you should consult a doctor. He will conduct diagnostic measures and confirm or rule out the presence of snoring. The cause of its occurrence must be clarified, because it can be the result of not only an improperly organized process of night rest, but also the development of serious diseases.
There are several degrees of severity of ronchopathy:
- Easy. It is characterized by a rare occurrence of snoring, the cause of which is the posture - lying on your back. As a rule, people do not seek medical help, because their quality of life does not suffer at all - after waking up they are full of energy, and high performance is maintained throughout the day.
- Average. The cause of snoring in this case is a pathological process. It is often accompanied by brief pauses in breathing during sleep. After waking up, a person does not feel rested; he needs a certain time to normalize his condition. At the same time, the quality of life is deteriorating not only for him, but also for loved ones.
- Heavy. The cause of snoring is also any pathology. Breathing stops during sleep are regular, a person constantly wakes up at night from suffocation. The volume of annoying sounds reaches a maximum, which becomesintolerable to others. The patient is unable to perform his usual activities, he constantly wants to sleep and can fall asleep anywhere and under any circumstances (driving, eating, etc.).
It is important to understand that treatment should not be delayed. The causes of snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep are different, but ignoring them can endanger the life of the patient. With the regular appearance of loud sounds, you need to contact an otolaryngologist.
Reasons
Sleep snoring in men and women is usually the result of diseases that affect the upper respiratory tract. It also occurs in the elderly, in whom muscle tone decreases in the process of natural age-related changes. In addition, a common cause of snoring during sleep in women and men is the anatomical features of the nasopharynx. Due to them, the passages and the windpipe are partially blocked.
Also causes of snoring during sleep can be:
- Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
- Polyps in the nose.
- Adenoiditis.
- Tonsillitis and chronic pharyngitis.
- High blood pressure.
- Smoking.
- Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Overweight.
- Injuries resulting in a deviated nasal septum.
Not always the cause of snoring in men and women is any pathology. Noise during breathing can appear if a person has a cold, is overtired, hasallergic rhinitis or he takes medications, one of the side effects of which is dryness or irritation of the nasopharyngeal mucosa. But then snoring is a short-term condition and disappears simultaneously with the elimination of the above factors. If it is regular, you should consult a doctor. He will find out the causes of snoring, and the treatment will be prescribed in accordance with the results of the studies.
Diagnosis
If complaints are regularly received from loved ones, and the patient feels tired and powerless during the day, he needs to make an appointment with an otolaryngologist. During the consultation, the doctor will ask questions about the patient's he alth, examine him for anatomical changes, and then issue a referral for examination.
The main methods for diagnosing snoring are as follows:
- Polysomnography. This is a study that assesses the degree of functioning of all body systems during sleep. Thanks to polysomnography, the doctor can determine the true cause of snoring in women and men and draw up the most appropriate treatment regimen. During the examination, the patient sleeps on a comfortable bed.
- Electroencephalography. In the process of conducting it, the doctor assesses the degree of electrical activity of the brain, which allows timely detection of any of its pathologies at the earliest stage. In addition, using this method, you can study the dynamics of treatment, as well as make adjustments to the therapy regimen. If violations are detected, the patient is further observed by a neurologist.
- Laryngoscopy. This is a study during which the condition of the larynx is assessed, and various pathologies are identified. It can be carried out both with the help of special mirrors and a flexible laryngoscope - a tube that is inserted through the nasal passages. If a pathology is detected, the treatment plan is drawn up by an ENT doctor.
- Rhinoscopy. This diagnostic method involves examining the nasal cavities with the help of special mirrors. It is used to detect ENT diseases, since most of them are the cause of snoring. Treatment for men and women in case of detection of diseases is prescribed by an otorhinolaryngologist.
- Computed tomography. With its help, you can determine the causes of snoring, as well as understand whether it is accompanied by pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Active pneumomanometry. This is a method in which the respiratory function of the nose is assessed.
The doctor may order several tests, as snoring can be the result of many disorders.
Medicated treatment
If the patient has been suffering from a pathological condition for less than a year, and no serious diseases have been identified during the diagnostic measures, the doctor recommends that he take the following topical medicines:
- antiseptic;
- toning;
- anti-inflammatory.
They come in sprays, tablets and lozenges.
Medications are ineffective inin relation to patients suffering from snoring for a long time, as well as those whose sleep is accompanied by the occurrence of episodes of obstructive sleep apnea.
Cipap therapy
Regardless of the cause, the treatment of snoring in women and men who periodically stop breathing during sleep involves this method. Sipap therapy is a method developed relatively recently. It is based on maintaining a constant positive pressure in the airways. Currently, this is the only method that can help people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.
Its essence is as follows: before going to bed, a person puts on a special mask connected to the device with a flexible tube. After switching on, the device begins to supply air at a constant pressure, preventing narrowing of the airways. As a result, the normal functioning of the body systems is not disturbed, and the patient receives a good rest at night, thanks to which a high level of efficiency is maintained throughout the next day.
Proper organization of sleep
Snoring is most common when a person sleeps on their back. This is due to the fact that in this position there is sagging of the soft tissues, and the retraction of the tongue creates an additional barrier to the incoming air.
The most physiological and beneficial for he alth is sleeping on your side with your legs slightly bent at the knees. In order to get rid of the habit of sleeping on your back, doctors recommend sewing onpajamas in the lumbar region a pocket in which you need to put something, for example, a tennis ball. As a result, a person will have to sleep only on his side during the night, and after a few days this will become a new good habit.
In addition, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room. It is desirable that the temperature in the room does not exceed +22 ° С.
Gymnastics to normalize muscle tone
In order to get rid of snoring that has arisen against the background of natural age-related changes, it is necessary to stick out the tongue as much as possible (as far as possible) 30-50 times twice a day. This exercise is useful for both young people and children, it is a prevention of weakening the tone of the pharynx, soft palate and tongue.
Surgical treatment
Based on the results of research, the doctor chooses the tactics of surgical intervention. For example, if the cause of snoring is a curvature of the nasal septum, septoplasty is performed, in the case of polyps, their laser removal is practiced, and with enlarged tonsils, tonsillectomy, etc.
If left untreated
In all cases, snoring disrupts the normal sleep process, even if it is not accompanied by brief episodes of sleep apnea. The body is deprived of proper rest at night, due to which during the day a person feels overwhelmed, it is difficult for him to switch to an active state.
In addition, snoring is a trigger for the development of the following pathologies:
- high blood pressure;
- heart rhythm disturbances;
- stroke;
- myocardial infarction;
- impotence in men.
Also, when the airways are constricted, the limbs and internal organs suffer from a lack of blood, while the heart is overworked with it.
Snoring in children
Noisy breathing in a newborn baby is usually a physiological condition that resolves on its own as it grows older. To exclude diseases in any case, you should consult a doctor.
The causes of snoring in an older child may be the following conditions and pathologies:
- enlarged nasopharyngeal tonsils;
- rhinitis;
- allergic reaction;
- anomalies in the structure of ENT organs;
- deviated nasal septum;
- apnea;
- overweight;
- thyroid disease.
In addition, the cause of snoring in a child in a dream can be a high pillow. It is recommended to exchange it for an orthopedic special product.
Preventive measures
In order to prevent or reduce the frequency of snoring, you must:
- Constantly control body weight. If overweight, gradually reduce it by at least 5 kg per year.
- Stop smoking and drinking alcohol just before bed.
- Stop taking drugs that reduce oropharyngeal muscle tone, such as antidepressants.
- Increase the intensity of physicalloads.
- Perform muscle strengthening exercise (tongue sticking out) regularly.
In conclusion
Contrary to popular belief, snoring is a pathological condition. If the noise during breathing during sleep occurs regularly, it is necessary to contact an otolaryngologist who will conduct an examination and refer you for a thorough examination. According to its results, the patient will be prescribed either conservative treatment or surgery.
