Anatomy Of Snoring

According to National Sleep Foundation, snoring is estimated to affect 57% of men and 40% of women in the United States and it even occurs in up to 27% of children.

Not to be confused with sleep apnea, mild and occasional snoring, although being an unpleasant activity and nuisance for the bed partner or even the ones in the room with the person that's snoring, usually is not dangerous or unhealthy in any way. Snoring is the action that happens while a person is asleep. The sound of snoring is created when parts of the throat partially block the airways and the airflow is causing throat muscles and tissue to vibrate causing the snoring sound. 

Although snoring is generally not an indication for some serious health condition, sometimes it may indicate it, and in such cases, it needs to be dealt with (in some severe cases, such as sleep apnea, snoring must be dealt with using medical assistance).

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring can be caused by acute, temporary conditions, or long-term conditions.

Temporary Conditions (common cold symptoms, nasal congestion, allergies, sinus infections, swollen tonsils, acute nose or throat injuries, pregnancy (nasal congestion is common during pregnancy)) as the name implies do not last long, more precisely they last only as long as the conditions that caused them. Under these conditions we can also consider some lifestyle habits and choices like sleeping position, drinking alcohol, or using sedatives. Alcohol (or any sedatives/drugs that cause muscles to relax) relax the throat muscles which collapse by gravity and cause airway obstruction, which further creates the snoring action (by the mechanisms as explained above). 

Long-term conditions that are causing snoring are the ones requiring more attention and possibly medical intervention. Following conditions are considered as long-term and probably should not be ignored or taken lightly:

• Genetics/throat and mouth anatomy. Having a specific mouth and/or throat anatomy can influence the airflow. Narrow airways, thick soft palate (extra tissue in the back of the throat), elongated uvula, large tonsils…can cause obstruction and snore
• Nasal airways issues. Chronic nasal congestion, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates…
• Obesity. This is one of the major snoring causes. In the US it is estimated that more than 1 in 3 adults were considered to be overweight, more than 2 in 5 adults were considered to have obesity (The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK))
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). In simple words, we could say that sleep apnea is a type of snoring in which there is a longer pause in the process of breathing, more precisely, inhaling the air. As it is with snoring, air inflow is obstructed, partially or fully, by blocking the upper airway, but unlike “normal” snoring with OSA we have a full obstruction in breathing, and it can last for a few seconds up to a minute or more.

6 Ways to Stop Snoring!

Well, it's quite simple, to get rid of snoring you "just" need to fix the cause of it… Of course, in some cases, it's easier said than done. But in some (other) cases, the "fix" is simpler than you might have expected…

Fixing the snoring caused by temporary conditions (as described above) is usually by itself, or a simple change of habit, or some small investment into some breathing aid.

Here are the 3 easy and (relatively) quick ways to stop snoring (today):

Avoiding alcohol and/or sedatives before bedtime. Here we could add avoiding sleep deprivation as well. Any muscle relaxant (alcohol, sedatives, being too tired) will influence your body to be "too relaxed", muscles of the neck and throat get relaxed as well, and under the influence of anatomy and gravity, they block the upper airways. 

Treating nasal congestion. Nasal congestion may occur due to several different reasons… it can be acute common cold symptoms, allergy issues, sinuses issues… How to solve these issues? Well, there are several ways how to treat snoring caused by the above-mentioned conditions, and they depend on the cause.

Use a humidifier. Breathing in dry air irritates upper airways, causing them to swell (and thus reduce airflow). Humidifying air adds moisture to it, which helps keep upper airways clear and soothe the irritation.
Use nasal strips or dilators. You can buy these in any pharmacy, they are not expensive, and are simple to use. Band-aid-looking Nasal strips are fixed externally, on the bridge of your nose (stick on like band-aid), and they mechanically dilate nasal passages making airflow easier. Nasal dilators work on the same principle, dilating nasal passages, but they are applied differently – they are rest inside the nostrils.
Get a new pillow. Get rid of any allergens and/or dust. Although you probably keep your pillows clean, it is quite hard to get rid of allergens or mites even with regular washing. So, changing your pillow for a new one might actually be the solution, give it a try.
Use an over-the-counter nasal decongestant or Neti pot. Keep nasal passages moist and clean by using simple solutions such as saline solution sprayed in your nostrils…

Changing your sleeping ways/habits. Avoid sleeping on your back or elevate your head and upper body. The sleeping position does affect your breathing during sleep significantly. Again, throat and neck anatomy, combined with gravity, can be affected by sleeping on your back. Simply changing to side sleeping or elevating the head and upper body (with a wedge pillow) can make all the difference!

On the other hand, long-term conditions sometimes require more than just a simple change and might even require invasive medical procedures.

Here are the 3 (more) ways to handle more severe/persistent cases of snoring:

Losing Weight. Since overweight and obesity are the leading causes for snoring, in most cases it can be solved simply by regulating your weight. 

Treating nasal/throat obstructions. In this case, nasal deviation, enlarged (or having third) tonsils, or other similar anatomical conditions are creating the obstruction of airflow and causing the snoring. Usually, the only solution for this is medical surgery!

Treating OSA. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a medical condition that is not only nuance, but it can be a significant problem, leading to serious health issues…it can cause or worsen the existing medical problems (various types of cardiovascular issues, including high blood pressure, heart attack, heart disease, stroke) and can even have lethal consequences (heart failure).
OSA is treated with PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) therapy and is exclusively prescribed by the physician! PAP therapy is done with PAP (CPAP, BiPAP) device and it requires regular use, correct handling, potentially some related accessories (CPAP Cleaning Supplies such as CPAP Ozone Cleaner (ideally the one with ozone filter), different types of CPAP face masks, hose and tubing management accessories, accessories that help reduce discomfort (we can recommend PrimeClean best cpap strap covers or PrimeClean CPAP Pillow), and some more accessories that could be helpful).

Snoring – A (Real) Problem?

Well, this one comes to the snoring cause and effect it has on your health, and empathy (in some cases). In some cases, snoring is just a nuance for you and/or your bed partner. But in some cases, it is a condition that can seriously endanger your health (especially in the case of OSA).

The thing you should do is consult with a physician, ideally a sleeping specialist, and do a sleep study. Let the qualified medical person decide the severity of your snoring condition.

Visit a doctor if you have signs or symptoms of sleep apnea (gasping for air during sleep, frequent urination during the night, excessive daytime sleepiness, wake up with a headache, wake up with the dry mouth or sore throat, if you have decreases in attention, vigilance, concentration, motor skills, and verbal and visuospatial memory), or if someone suggests that your snoring "sounds like" sleep apnea, or if before-mentioned remedies and lifestyle changes do not reduce your snoring.

Snoring is a condition that you can live with, but it’s also a condition that is treatable. Keep that in mind!