For someone who snores and those around them, snoring is a problem. Not everyone snores on a regular basis but, most likely, everyone has snored at least once in their lives due to a cold or congestion. Being the snorer or partner that has to spend their nights sleeping next to a snorer, it is understandable why they would like to understand what it is that make people snore and how to stop it.
Many different things make people snore. One reason that people tend to snore is because their nasal airways are obstructed. Obstructed airways can be the result of allergies, colds or a sinus infection. It can also be due to physical deformities like nasal polyps or a deviated septum. A deviated septum is a structural change in the thin wall in your nose that separates one nostril from the other.
Other people might snore due to their throat or their tongue. One of these structures might become too relaxed then collapse and gall back into your airway causing you to snore. Another way that anatomy might determine whether you are a snorer or not, has to do with the palate of your mouth. The palate is the tissue that forms the roof of your mouth. If it is too long or soft, it might be making the opening from the nose to the throat narrower causing snoring. The snoring sound comes from the air causing vibrations within the mouth, nose or throat. Because of these structural problems, the airflow is causing the tissue to vibrate and the result is the snoring sound.
But is snoring really that harmful to your body? Well, if it is causing one to not get a full night’s sleep, it might be. Snoring is a direct result of a breathing problem. Breathing problems can lead to sleep deprivation for the snorer or their partner. Sleep deprivation or not getting enough sleep can lead to not only drowsiness during the day but clumsiness, overall fatigue and weight loss. Prolonged sleep deprivation can cause headaches, dry mouth or even hallucinations. It can make you nauseous, dizzy or irritable. Prolonged sleep deprivation can also cause you to have memory loss or lapse. Plus it can lead to other physical problems like weight gain or obesity, muscle aches or it could put you at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, or fibromyalgia. In extreme cases psychosis has been seen or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Due to the high risk of health problems that can be seen die to interrupted sleep, it is important to take snoring seriously. If you are constantly waking up during the night, I might be your snoring that is the cause. It can be hard to detect since the second the snorer wakes up, obviously, the snoring stops. Ignoring this problem will not make it go away. It might be in your best interest to see your doctor or dentist to help you to diagnose the reason why you might be snoring. You might also want to visit a sleep clinic that might not only diagnose the reason why you snore but also diagnose any other related health problems that you might be suffering from due to your snoring or that might be the reason for your snoring.
