As you fall asleep and progress into deeper sleep, the muscles in the roof of the mouth, tongue and throat naturally relax. If the tissues in your throat relax enough, they vibrate and may partially obstruct your airway.
The more narrowed the airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. Tissue vibration increases, and your snoring grows louder, eventually progressing into a loud rumbling nuisance for bed partners!
Snoring can be attributed to a variety of factors, including:
- Mouth Anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate or enlarged tonsils can narrow your airway. Being overweight also contributes heavily to the narrowing of your airway.
- Alcohol Consumption. Snoring also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol acts as a sedative, relaxing throat muscles.
- Nasal problems. Nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils may be culprit.
- Sleep Apnea. Snoring may also be associated with obstructive sleep apnea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues obstruct your airway, preventing you from breathing. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence that can last 10 seconds or more. Eventually, the lack of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide signal you to wake up, forcing your airway open with a loud snort or gasping sound.
Snoring can be serious both socially and medically.
Snoring can disrupt marriages and cause sleepless nights for bed partners. Habitual snoring may be more than just a nuisance and cause of daytime sleepiness. Untreated, persistent snoring caused by obstructive sleep apnea may raise your lifetime risk of developing such health problems as high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke. In children, obstructive sleep apnea may increase their risk of ADHD.
Treatment
There are a number of treatments for snoring, whether it be lifestyle changes such as weight loss, or treatment procedures such as oral applicances or surgery.
Treatments include:
- Traditional Surgery
- Laser Surgery
- Somnoplasty
- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
- Oral Applicances
What is an Oral Appliance?
Oral appliances are form-fitting dental mouthpieces that help advance the position of your tongue and soft palate to keep your air passage open. If you choose to use an oral appliance, visit your dental specialist at least once every six months during the first year, and then at least annually after that, so he or she can check the fit and assess your current signs and symptoms to be sure that your condition isn't worsening.
We at the Dental Design Spa take a less invasive approach and customize a treatment plan involving specialized dental appliances to properly place the tongue, or adjust the lower jaw to help open your airways.
If you or a loved one have snoring or sleep apnea problems...call us now for a consultation.
Want more information? Visit the Mayo Clinic site on Snoring
