Snoring Specialist

What Is Snoring?

Snoring occurs when the flow of air from the mouth or nose to your lungs makes the tissues of your throat vibrate during sleep. Vibrations can be severe and loud sounds can be emitted from the sleeping individual, making it hard for you and your partner to sleep peacefully. Approximately 90 million American adults suffer from this sleep disorder. It can have negative effects on you and your partner.

What Causes Snoring?

As you sleep the muscles in your throat can start to relax, causing your tongue to fall back and your throat to narrow. As breathing occurs vibrations are caused when the soft palate and uvula knock against the back of your throat, causing the loud noise you hear. A narrower airway can cause greater vibrations and therefore louder sounds from the sleeping individual.

What Are the Health Risks?

Chronic and habitual snorers may be at risk for more serious health problems. About one-half of these individuals suffer from obstructive sleep apnea; a sleeping disorder caused when the airway to your lungs is blocked and breathing can be stopped repeatedly while you sleep. Sleep apnea can cause severe problems to an affected individual:

• Long interruptions of breathing (more than 10 seconds) during sleep caused by partial or total obstruction of the airway.
• Frequent waking from sleep, even though you may not realize it.
• Light sleeping. People with obstructive sleep apnea sleep lightly to try to keep their throat muscles tense enough to maintain airflow.
• Strain on the heart. Prolonged suffering from obstructive sleep apnea often results in higher blood pressure and may cause enlargement of the heart, with higher risks of heart attack and stroke.
• Poor night’s sleep. This leads to drowsiness during the day and can interfere with your quality of life.

Sleep apnea is a significant risk factor for other medical conditions, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes and high blood pressure. If you believe you or your partner suffer from sleep apnea then consult with a certified sleep doctor immediately. Texas Sleep Medicine provides consultations and sleep tests with our patients and if a sleep apnea diagnosis is made we will discuss further treatment options so you can sleep peacefully and live a healthier lifestyle.

How Is It Diagnosed?

A diagnosis can be made depending on if your partner is aware of it, it runs in your family, or if you haven’t been sleeping well at night. Suffering can be the result of other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, which would require further testing and treatment.

How to Stop Snoring:

Snoring treatment & remedies can include making changes in your lifestyle and in your sleeping habits. Making these changes can help you with snoring:

• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Quit smoking.
• Sleep on your side and not your back.
• Limit your use of alcohol and medicines such as sedatives before you go to bed.
• If you have a stuffy nose, use nose strips, decongestants, or nasal steroid sprays to help you breathe.
• Try using devices that you attach to the outside of your nose to help with breathing while you sleep. These include nasal strips and nasal disks.