How to determine if Snoring is a Sign of Health Problems

Whether you think it sounds like rumbling thunder or sawing logs, snoring can be very annoying to your partner or anyone within ear shot when they’re trying to sleep.  But it can also be indicative of a common health problem known as OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which can elevate your risk of a heart attack, hypertension, or a stroke.  If a loved one constantly disturbs your sleep with their snoring, you should encourage them make an appointment with their doctor or a sleep specialist.

Snoring is a relatively common condition that affects many individuals although it occurs more often among men and overweight individuals.  It also tends to worsen with age.  When a person snores occasionally, it usually isn’t a cause for concern.  In fact, the only drawback to occasional snoring is the way in which it annoys your bed partner and disturbs their sleep.  However, if you’re a chronic snorer, you’re not only disturbing your partner, you’re hurting the quality of your own sleep.

It has been seen that one of the reasons relationships go downhill is due to one of the partners snoring at night and that disturbs the sleep of the other bed partner. With time the sleep deprivation and constant irritation breaks down the health and relationship of the couple. Some of the consequences of poor sleep include low levels of alertness, poor productivity at work, mood swings and irritability apart from daytime drowsiness. Whether you are actively snoring or reeling from the ill-effects of the passive snoring, you need to find a solution to get back your life and health on track. 

Why do We Snore?

One of the most common (if not the most common) questions we answer at Asonor is “Why do we snore?”  Almost everybody snores occasionally.  Statistics show that 57% of all adult males and 40% of all adult females are what we refer to as habitual snorers.  Some individuals who have no other sleep-related issues or symptoms snore regularly.  Furthermore, snoring can be associated with sleep apnea, a disorder that disrupts a person’s sleep and often leads to other more, serious health problems. Sleep apnea needs a physician’s intervention and 

Snoring typically occurs when the air you inhale and exhale during sleep cannot flow freely through your airway.  When your airway becomes narrowed or gets partially blocked, the tissues in your upper airway begin vibrating and cause the snoring sound.  There are several reasons why a person may have a blocked or chronically narrowed airway, all of which are anatomical in nature (see below).  Using Asonor Anti snoring Solution can provide relief from snoring so you get a better night’s sleep.

Causes of Snoring

Adults usually snore because of anatomical issues such as the shape and size of the jaw, soft palate, tongue, and uvula while children tend to snore when their adenoids or tonsils become enlarged.  As you sleep, your throat muscles relax and your tongue becomes floppy, causing it to fall backwards. This causes the throat to narrow so that when you breathe, the throat walls begin vibrating and snoring occurs.  The narrower the airway gets, the greater the vibration that occurs and the louder the snoring.

While snoring typically occurs when the airflow through a person’s mouth and nose gets obstructed, there are several factors that can be considered causes of snoring:

• alcohol and drug use
• bulky throat tissue
• longer, softer palate and/or uvula
• nasal airway blockages
• poor throat and tongue muscle tone
• sleep deprivation
• sleep position

In addition to the above causes of snoring, there are certain factors that elevate your risk of snoring.  These include:

• Aging – a number of changes in one’s sleeping habits is often associated with aging.  This includes a greater frequency of snoring.  Additionally, the tongue and the muscles surrounding the airway may weaken with age.

• Anatomy of the head and neck – the shape and size of certain anatomical structures cause the airway to constrict and lead to snoring.  For example, if you have a deviated septum, you’re more likely to snore.  The same is true for individuals who have:

• enlarged tongue and/or tonsils
• polyps or growths in the nasal passages
• small jaw structure

• Alcohol and sedative use – these relax the tissue-supporting muscles of the airway.  Chronic snorers and individuals with OSA who drink or take sedatives tend to have more severe snoring experiences.

• Being overweight – extra neck tissue can constrict the airway and make it more prone to collapsing and therefore cause you to snore.

• Chronic nasal congestion – because of the reduction of airflow through the airway, which causes it to collapse, nasal congestion during sleep can result in snoring.  Trying Asonor Anti-snoring Solution may help to clear the congestion and provide you with some relief.

• Hypothyroidism – an under-functioning thyroid gland fails to produce enough of the thyroid hormone.  If left untreated hypothyroidism can lead to its characteristic symptoms – e.g. hoarse voice, puffy face, slow heart rate, slow speech, and snoring.

• Sleep position – snoring is more common among individuals who sleep on their backs.  Sleeping on your back causes gravity to pull your airway tissues downward which in turn narrows the airway and causes you to snore.

• Smoking – while it’s not clear why smoking elevates the risk of snoring, research has suggested that it may be due to edema and inflammation of the upper airway.

If your snoring has become a problem for your bed partner or if you’re concerned about your quality of sleep, contact us about Asonor Anti-Snoring Solution by sending us a message at [email protected]. Our business representatives are available to answer your questions and help you get proper information about snoring and how our anti snoring nasal spray can help you stop snoring.