You are likely to snore when your airway narrows or constricts during sleep either because of some abnormalities of the soft throat tissues or bad sleeping posture. The narrow airway interferes with the normal flow of air and creates the snoring sound.
Snoring is not limited to some people only. Even people who are not known to snore regularly are likely to snore after a major viral infection or after consuming alcohol, or when faced with certain medications.
It is of utmost importance to establish the root cause of snoring as it does not only affect you but also affects your bed partner or other roommates. Some of the most common causes associated with snoring include:
Age – As people advance in age, the throat tends to get narrower; this coupled with the general decrease of throat muscle tone becomes a very good recipe for snoring.
Gender – It is true that men snore more frequently than women. This is simply because men are naturally created with a narrow air passage. Other factors that contribute to this are the presence of enlarged adenoids.
Sinus or Nasal Infections – Airways can be blocked due to an infection and this automatically makes inhalation extremely difficult. A vacuum is then formed in the throat that leads to snoring.
Smoking and Alcohol- Consumption of alcohol and cigarette smoke, even inhaling secondhand smoke are known to increase nasal muscle relaxation contributing to snoring.
Weight – Increased body weight is also another factor that can lead to snoring.<br> Sleeping Posture – Sleeping on your back can also block the nasal airway.
Other life threatening conditions such as sleep apnea are also characterized by snoring. Sleep apnea is a serious condition that blocks the breathing systems forcing the person to wake up several times during sleep to gasp for air. This condition can be treated in numerous ways.
Identifying your sleeping positions in relation to how you snore can give a good insight as to why you snore. For example snoring when your mouth is closed means the tongue has got a problem, snoring while your mouth is open indicates presence of excessive throat tissues while snoring is all manner of sleeping positions indicates the presence of a serious condition that requires urgent investigation.
Other remedies such as losing weight, clearing the nasal passage, quitting smoking and humidifying your bedroom can also manage snoring. Some people need to go to a doctor to resolve this issue while others swear by wearing balance wristbands to help them sleep at night, and quit snoring.Whatever route you take, your partner will thank you.
