Everything you need to know about snoring, do you think they sound louder… and they louder?

Sleeping with a new partner, spending a vacation for the first time with friends or sharing a tent while camping can bring us a surprise at bedtime. And it is that Someone’s snoring can ruin a night’s rest in many cases.

Although we deny it, surely we have all snored at some point and the reasons behind it are many and varied.

As explained by the Spanish Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (SEORL-CCC), Snoring can be associated with various causes, such as:

Men snore more than women. /Rawpixel. Freepik.

Why do we snore?

The physiological explanation for the snoring that the SEORL-CCC gives us is that;

“When we sleep deeply the muscles of the palate, the language and the throat relaxes”.
“This relaxation becomes such that it causes a partial blockage of the airways and causes them to vibrate.”

“The narrower the airways, the greater the force of the airflow. This increases the vibration of the tissues, resulting in louder snoring,” experts point out.

But not all of us snore the same and not all snoring is equally annoying.

If we look at sex, men usually have a bad reputation for snoring, and it really is like that. According to otorhinolaryngology experts, They snore more than women, although the percentage evens out after the woman reaches adulthood. menopause.

Regarding the volume of snoring, the differences between both sexes are minimal, since Men’s snoring can reach 51.7 decibels, while women snore at about 50 decibels..

Main causes that cause snoring

We have already seen that it is the excess relaxation of the airways that is behind snoring. But there are certain aspects that increase the chances of being a snorer. The experts of the SEORL-CCC signals which are the main ones:

The existence of a obstruction in the upper airway due to an anatomical alteration which makes it difficult for air to pass through it.
Nasal problems. Nasal congestion during a cold will cause snoring. Also having a deviated nasal septum is a factor to take into account.
Suffering from an infection or inflammation in the mucosa “lining the nose and paranasal sinuses” against pathologies such as sinusitis and other allergies that can cause occasional snoring,” the specialists point out.

Vegetations are usually behind children’s snoring. /Adobe Stock.

A alteration of the soft tissues of the airway related to weakened muscle tone that causes muscle collapse.
The consumption of certain substances that “favor the relaxation of airway muscle tone.” Among these products, ENT doctors mainly point out alcohol and tobacco, as well as some drugs.
Have vegetations. “Vegetations or adenoids are masses of tissue located in the posterior part of the nasal cavity,” the SEORL-CCC explains. They have an essential function as an immune barrier in children. And although they disappear during adolescence, “sometimes they become inflamed or infected, making it difficult for children to breathe.”
Sleep a little. Curiously, lack of sleep can cause greater relaxation of the throat.
The position we adopt to sleep It also influences snoring. Thus, those people who sleep on their backs tend to snore more and louder, “since gravity acts on the throat and narrows the airways,” they explain.

Treatments used for snoring

Sometimes snoring becomes a real problem and there is no choice but to address it.

At the moment, The most effective treatments to eliminate or reduce the intensity of snoring is to control the “main causative risk factors such as weight, tobacco or avoiding the consumption of drugs or alcohol.””.

Losing weight, not smoking or avoiding alcohol is essential to stop snoring. / Stefamerpik. freepik

In very specific cases, there is no choice but to resort to surgery.. In this area, the procedures can be diverse, from

Correct the nasal septum (septoplasty) Surgery of the turbinates (turbinoplasty) Surgery of the palate (pharyngoplasty).

With these surgical procedures “significant and lasting improvements in snoring can be achieved, if well selected,” warn otolaryngologists. In any case, it should always be the specialist who determines the best treatment in each case.

2024-04-14 20:35:12
#snoring #sound #louder.. #louder