What are some of the Causes of Snoring in Females?

Almost everyone snores occasionally and, in most cases, it isn’t something that you need to worry about.  Snoring occurs when air is unable to move freely through the nose and throat when someone is sleeping.  As a result, this causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate and produce that all too familiar snoring noise.  People who are frequent snorers have an excess of nasal and throat tissue that is prone to vibrating.  The position of the tongue can also hinder smoother breathing. Despite most people believing that only males snore, female snoring is extremely common. 

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Why do People Snore?

There are several answers to the question “why do I snore?” For instance, you’re more prone to snoring if you’re middle-aged or older, overweight, or a post-menopausal woman.  Furthermore, the older you get the worse your snoring sounds.  Snoring can be caused by several basic factors including:

• bulky throat tissue
• deviated septum
• long, soft palate or uvula
• nasal congestion resulting from allergies or a sinus infection
• nasal polyps
• poor muscle tone

However, in some cases, snoring may be attributed to a more serious or even a life-threatening health issue such as sleep apnea and sleep deprivation. It is true that women are straddled with more responsibilities at work and at home and that is one of the key reasons for sleep deprivation. 

What Causes Snoring in Females

Since there are different causes of snoring, it’s important to understand which one is triggering your snoring episodes.  Once you know what causes snoring in females, you can enjoy a deeper, quieter sleep.  The more common causes of snoring in females include the following:

• Exhaustion – when you’re exhausted, muscle tissues are more relaxed and can make snoring worse.  The larynx relaxes when a person is extremely tired and causes the person to start snoring. However, using anti- snoring nasal drops that tighten the throat muscles can help sleep better. 

• Menopause – menopause reduces muscle tone in the neck and throat, causing women to snore.  During menopause, the production of estrogen and progesterone gradually decreases and can result in hot flashes and insomnia as well as mood and sleeping disorders.  In most cases, sleep disorders are accompanied by snoring. You might want to see a doctor for these underlying causes. 

• Pregnancy – snoring during pregnancy is very common and is caused by blood vessel expansion in the nasal cavity as well as the weight gain attribute to fetal growth inside the mother’s womb. Additionally, a growing fetus pushes against the lungs and that puts more pressure on the trachea and the throat muscles. 

• Weight gain – people who are overweight are more likely to be frequent snorers than those who are in good physical condition.  Hormonal imbalance, menopause, and pregnancy cause changes in a female’s metabolism.  Being overweight and snoring go hand in hand.  Gaining weight leads to a build-up of skin around the neck which causes a narrowing of the airway and hinders a person’s airflow.  Snoring is the result.

The bottom line is that chronic, loud snoring isn’t normal.  Therefore, it’s important to speak with your doctor or a sleep specialist if it has become and to find out what causes snoring.  Understanding the cause of your snoring is the first step towards treating it and enjoying a better night’s sleep.

There are multiple causes of snoring in women, starting with weight gain, sleep apnea and menopause to pregnancy. Usually, gaining weight and hormonal changes due to age, pregnancy or even menopause leads to adding on layers of fat around the neck and throat. That creates an obstruction in the airways by narrowing it, and that leads to snoring. Additionally, nasal congestion, allergies and sinus infections might be other causes that obstruct normal airflow, increasing the risk of snoring.

How to Stop Snoring in Women?

There are various factors that contribute to snoring in women that includes obesity, nasal congestion, sleep disorders and hormonal changes. To stop snoring in women, it is important to lose weight, avoid alcohol before bedtime, maintain sleep hygiene and take treatment for hormonal imbalance, if that is the cause of your snoring. Additionally, sleeping on your side can help keep the airways open and reduces nasal congestion, helping you breathe better. For nasal congestions, use saline sprays, nasal strips and anti-snoring aids to stop snoring. It is important to be aware that chronic snoring is a precursor to sleep apnea.

Medical treatments – Remedies to Cure Snoring

Oftentimes, medical treatment including surgical methods are used to treat physical anomalies, as remedies to cure snoring. Here are a few ways:

• Septoplasty: It is done to straighten the deviated septum.
• Palatal implants: Small rods of fiber are inserted into the palate’s soft tissue to stiffen it so that it does not vibrate and cause snoring.
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty: The surgery is done to remove obstruction from excess tissue from the uvula and the soft palate.
• Genioglossus advancement:This is done to move the tongue forward and that helps sleep disorders and enhances normal breathing. It is done by an ENT surgeon.

Additionally, as there are risks with surgery, it is important to use it as the last resort to cure snoring.

When to speak with a doctor

Though occasional snoring is normal, there are instances when you might need to give it a serious thought and know when to speak with a doctor, such as:

• If you are snoring too loud and regularly
• If the snoring disrupts your sleep and leads to daytime drowsiness and fatigue
• If the snoring is accompanied by pauses in breathing, choking or you wake up gasping to breathe
• If you have high blood pressure, difficulty in focusing and morning headaches

Thus, if you have allergies, nasal congestion or obesity, you might want to speak with a doctor to rule out any immediate health issues. Early intervention can improve the quality of sleep and help you stop snoring effectively.

Rule out the more serious Causes and Issues first

One of the best tips to stop snoring that we can offer is to rule out the more serious causes and issues.  Chronic or frequent snoring could be an indication of a serious sleep disorder known as OSA or obstructive sleep apnea.  With this disorder, your breathing may be interrupted several times throughout the night while you’re sleeping.  Normal snoring doesn’t hinder or interfere with your quality of sleep as much as sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea. The frequent bouts of wakefulness and sleep due to intermittent issue of stop breathing can be extremely tiring. 

So, if you’re extremely fatigued or sleepy during the day, this could be an indication of OSA or some other sleep-related breathing issue.  If you or your partner has noticed any of the following “red flags”, you should make an appointment to see your doctor and discuss your condition as well as how to stop snoring:

• you fall asleep during a conversation, when eating a meal, or at other inappropriate times throughout the day
• you snore heavily and loudly then find yourself extremely tired the next day
• you stop breathing, choke, or gasp while you sleep

Helpful Tips to Stop Snoring

Why do people snore and are there easy ways to stop snoring? While some individuals have been fortunate enough to find out what causes snoring and ways to stop it, others have not been so lucky.  Oftentimes, they use remedies that don’t work for them but that does not mean that those remedies are redundant. Here are several ways to address the issue, depending on the cause of it:

• Change your sleeping position
• Open your nasal passages using dilators or strips
• Reduce the consumption of dairy products as they increase production of mucous 
• Relieve chronic nasal congestion and stuffiness
• Work towards attaining a healthier weight

Usually, these work for most people but if these don’t help, it may be time to pursue physician-approved methods to stop snoring such as:

• CPAP or continuous positive airway pressure.
• Get fitted with an oral appliance such as a mouthguard device that holds your jaw forward and keeps your airway open.
• Undergo a surgical procedure such as adenoid and tonsil removal, deviated septum repair, or palate/uvula surgery.

Although it is best that you try non-invasive methods before opting for surgery. For more information about what causes snoring and how to stop it, or to learn how Asonor Anti-Snoring Solution can help with your snoring problems, visit the Asonor website or send us a message by clicking here. Our business representatives are available to assist you and clarify your doubts related to our product. Call us today and know more about how to stop snoring quickly. 

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