Snoring

Snoring is the act of breathing through the open mouth, occurring mostly while asleep, in such a way as to cause a vibration of the uvula and soft palate, thus giving rise to a sound varying from a soft noise to a loud unpleasant sound. It can be due to obesity, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, deformities in the nasal passages, etc. It is basically caused by some kind of blockage in the breathing passage such as the tongue rolling into the throat during sleep or allergies or throat weakness causing the throat to close during sleep or mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles or may be due to fat gathering in and around the throat. Numerical statistics on snoring are often contradictory, but at least 30% of the adults and perhaps as many as 50% of people in some demographics snore. The loudest snore on record was of 93 decibels. Most of the time snoring is not a health risk to the snorer, but snoring resulting from a significant obstruction of the breathing passage can be an indication of the potentially life-threatening disorder called sleep apnea.

IMPACTS OF SNORING

According to Dr William C Dement of the Stanford Sleep Center, anyone who snores and has daytime drowsiness should be evaluated for any of the sleep disorders such as (a) sleep deprivation, (b) daytime drowsiness, (c) irritability, (d) decreased libido, (e) psychosocial damage, (f) risk of heart attack (about +34% chance) associated with loud snoring, (g) atherosclerosis of carotid artery due to turbulence in the blood flow caused by loud snoring leading to the risk of a stroke (about +67% chance) and/or (h) severe impairment of lifestyle like marital conflicts. 

SURGERY

Alleviating snoring nearly revolves around clearing the blockage in the breathing passage. In addition to the palate, tongue size, enlarged tonsils, a large uvula or nasal obstruction can all be contributing factors to a patient’s snoring. Hence the snorers are advised to lose weight (to stop fat from pressing on the throat), to stop smoking (smoking weakens and clogs the throat) and to sleep on their side (to prevent the tongue from blocking the throat). Different aids work for different people. Surgery is one option to cure snoring (e.g. a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty); while usage of dental appliances such as a mandibular advancement splint is another. Nose clips are also used to keep the nose open and jaw mechanics to keep the jaw in the right position.