Have you ever been told by a family member or close friend that you snore?

It's difficult for people to notice that they snore while sleeping.

However, if left untreated, snoring can have adverse effects on your health.

Learn about the mechanism of snoring and your type of snoring, and find the appropriate way to deal with it.

The mechanism of snoring

Snoring, the loud gurgling or rumbling noise, is a vibration sound caused by air passing through the upper airway, which narrows during sleep.

The upper respiratory tract refers to the respiratory system from the nose to the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, pharynx, and larynx. During normal breathing, air passes through the upper respiratory tract and enters smoothly into the trachea.

However, in people who snore, the upper airway is narrowed for some reason. When they breathe, the airflow becomes turbulent, causing the soft palate, uvula, and pharynx to vibrate.

This produces a loud sound because the mechanism is almost identical to that which produces sound in wind instruments such as trombones.

The cause of snoring

[Sleeping on your back]
The likelihood of snoring is largely dependent on your sleeping position.

The sleeping position that narrows the upper airway is the supine position. When you sleep on your back, your body relaxes, loosening the muscles around your tongue and pharynx, and gravity causes the base of your tongue to fall to the back of your throat, naturally making it easier for your upper airway to become blocked.

[Mouth breathing]
Many people who snore breathe through their mouths while sleeping.

When breathing through the mouth, the soft palate at the back of the mouth is more likely to collapse than when breathing through the nose, which increases air resistance in the throat and makes you more likely to snore.

People who snore easily

People who are prone to snoring have different physical and lifestyle characteristics.

Physical characteristics include a short, thick neck, a small, set-back lower jaw, a long uvula, a long tongue, and a crooked nose.

Lifestyle habits that make you more likely to snore include sleeping on your back, breathing through your mouth, being obese, living a life that is prone to stress and fatigue, drinking too much, and having chronic rhinitis or nasal congestion.

These types of snoring are dangerous! Types of snoring

Although the term "snoring" is used broadly, there are actually many different types of snoring.

Depending on the type of snoring, it may make you so sleepy that it interferes with your daily life, or it may be a sign of a lifestyle-related disease.

First, find out what type of snoring you have by asking your partner or someone else about your usual snoring habits, or by recording yourself using a sleep app.

Sporadic snoring

You don't usually snore, but you snore only when you are tired, have drunk alcohol, or have a cold.

This is a type of snoring called "sporadic snoring." Sporadic snoring is a single "snoring" and is not a problem.

Habitual snoring

On the other hand, if you snore every day, it is considered "habitual snoring" and can be divided into the following three types.

[Simple snoring]
This type does not experience apnea, hypopnea, or sleep interruptions, and does not experience daytime sleepiness.

It's not a problem if you wake up feeling refreshed in the morning, but continued snoring can lead to illness.

Eliminate the cause of your snoring as soon as possible.

[Upper airway resistance syndrome (mild form of SAS)]
If you snore habitually and feel sleepy during the day even after getting a good night's sleep, you may be experiencing sleep fragmentation.

Although there is no apnea or hypopnea and the symptoms are mild, caution is required.

[Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS)]
If you experience snoring that stops for a while while you sleep, but then starts again with a loud popping sound, you may have sleep apnea syndrome (SAS).

SAS not only causes sleep to be fragmented and shallow, but also causes apnea and hypopnea, which puts the body in a state of hypoxia.

Not only does it make you feel sleepy during the day, it also damages your brain and body.

If left untreated, it could increase the risk of life-threatening lifestyle-related diseases, so it is important to receive treatment at a medical institution.

3 ways to improve snoring

It is important to improve your snoring not only to avoid causing trouble to your family and partner, but also for your own health.

Here are three effective ways to improve your snoring:

Reviewing lifestyle habits

To improve your snoring, first try to adopt lifestyle habits that make it less likely for you to snore.

Sleeping on your side instead of your back and adjusting the height of your pillow can help reduce upper airway obstruction.

Also, try to change your lifestyle to make it less likely that you snore by avoiding heavy drinking, quitting smoking which inflames the airways, and using commercially available anti-snoring products.

diet

If you are snoring because you are overweight and have excess fat around your neck, you should go on a diet.

It is important to lose excess fat and maintain a healthy weight.

Treatment at a medical institution

If you are snoring due to nasal congestion caused by chronic rhinitis or if you suffer from SAS, we recommend that you receive appropriate treatment at a medical institution.

Recently, some hospitals have set up "snoring clinics," but it is generally best to visit an otolaryngologist.

summary

If you snore, first review your lifestyle habits, and if the condition persists and is severe, seek medical treatment. It is important to continue doing so.