The 5 most common causes of snoring

Snoring, aka snoring, is the noisy sound of breathing that is released during sleep. This condition is caused by narrowing of the airways in the throat or nose while sleeping. Snoring can be experienced by anyone so it is usually not dangerous. However, serious sleep disorders such as o bstructive sleep apnea can also be a cause of snoring.

How did snoring happen?

Snoring or snoring occurs when you can't let the air out freely through your nose. This is due to the narrowing of the airways around the throat when sleeping.

When you sleep, the muscles in your throat, including your tongue, will relax too. The tongue will fall backwards and the airways in the throat will narrow.

The narrowing of the airways causes the air to exert more pressure to push it out. The immense pressure of the airflow causes the airways to vibrate and produces a rough, annoying sound.

The narrower the air duct, the more pressure is required to build sufficient airflow. The greater the pressure, the louder the snoring sound will be.

Causes of snoring during sleep

Although the narrowing of the airways in the throat during sleep is a natural process, not everyone snores during sleep. Snoring is more common in people aged 30-60 years and is more common in men (44%) than in women (28%).

Well, certain conditions and health problems can indeed trigger this snoring disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, the following are the causes of snoring to occur during sleep:

1. Anatomy of the body

The reason men tend to snore more easily during sleep is because they have a narrower airway in the throat.

Men have a lower voice box (larynx) position than women. This causes more open space in the throat.

This larger space makes the airway in the throat narrower. As a result, when sleeping, the airway becomes narrower, resulting in a snoring sound.

In addition, the shape of the jaw can also affect the occurrence of snoring. A more prominent and defined jaw shape can narrow the airways during sleep.

Several other conditions that affect the shape of the throat and nose such as clefts, enlarged adenoids, and genetic disorders can also make it easier for a person to snore while sleeping.

2. Being overweight

Fatty tissue and reduced muscle mass can also be the cause of your frequent snoring while sleeping. The accumulation of fat around the neck can compress the airways in the throat while sleeping, blocking airflow.

3. Age

The older you get, the more you may snore during sleep. The reason older people tend to snore more easily is due to the condition of the muscles in the respiratory tract that relax with age.

The sagging airway muscles are more prone to vibrate when they are passed through the air flow. As a result, they are more prone to producing snoring sounds.

4. Respiratory problems

Nasal congestion due to illnesses such as colds, allergies, or sinusitis can make it difficult for you to breathe because it causes inflammation in the throat and nose. This condition can block the flow of air out of the nose and cause snoring sounds during sleep.

5. Side effects of drugs

The use of certain drugs can also be one of the reasons why you often snore while sleeping. Sedatives such as lorazepam and diazepam, which work to relax muscles, can cause the muscles in the throat to weaken, causing snoring.

6. Consumption of cigarettes and alcohol

The habit of consuming cigarettes and alcohol can be the reason why you snore while sleeping.

The effects of alcohol consumption can relax the respiratory tract muscles. This relaxing of the muscles makes the airways more closed and the air flow narrower, resulting in a snoring sound.

While smoking can irritate the tissues in the respiratory tract. This condition will cause an increase in mucus production. This increase further adds to the narrowing and blockage of the airways.

7. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

OSA does not cause the usual snoring sound. The snoring sound which is the main symptom of OSA is so loud it can even wake other people who are fast asleep.

Not infrequently, OSA can also cause a person to choke snoring or gasping for breath which is very dangerous.

Therefore, you need to immediately see a doctor if you experience frequent snoring accompanied by symptoms:

In addition, those of you who experience OSA may also experience dry mouth, sleep poorly, wake up frequently in the middle of sleep, and drool (drool).

• Mouth feels dry
• Sleep soundly because you wake up often
• Saliva while sleeping (drooling)
• Stop breathing while sleeping
• More daytime sleepiness than usual
• Headache in the morning
• Woke up in the morning but felt like I haven't rested yet
• High blood pressure
• Chest pain
• Frequent nausea
• Difficulty concentrating during the day
• Moods fluctuate easily, such as irritability

How do doctors diagnose what causes snoring?

When consulting a doctor, the doctor will then perform a physical examination and evaluate your medical history.

However, if the cause of the snoring is not known from this initial examination, the doctor may order several tests to look at the inside of the throat and nose such as CT scan, MRI, endoscopy or laryngoscopy.

If the doctor suspects that the main cause of this snoring disorder is sleep apnea, the doctor will perform tests:

• In-lab overnight sleep study

You are asked to sleep in a laboratory and have instruments placed on several parts of your body to detect and measure brain waves, heart rate, respiration, and body movements.

• Home sleep apnea test

This test is done at home while you sleep with a device that monitors the condition of the body during sleep.

How to stop snoring while sleeping

Treatment to stop snoring during sleep depends on the cause and how severe the cause is.

The doctor's treatment for snoring is usually in the form of drops or spray nasal congestion or medicine for sore throat.

In severe conditions, installation of tools or machines in the mouth and nose is like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can be a solution.

If the cause is OSA related to the condition of the pharynx or uvula, which is a small tissue hanging from the ceiling, then surgery may be necessary.

However, usually the following lifestyle changes can help reduce or even stop snoring during sleep.

• If you are overweight, losing weight is the right way to stop snoring.
• Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages before bed.
• Quit smoking.
• Elevate your head on a pillow while sleeping so that your tongue doesn't get in the way of your breath.
• Sleep on your side.

Snoring or snoring is actually normal, but if it reduces the quality of sleep and is followed by symptoms that inhibit breathing it can be annoying and dangerous. However, you can still do medication and lifestyle changes to overcome it.