Why snoring comes, can snoring cause harm, know reason and treatment ?

Snoring is universal. Everyone gets it at some point, whether it’s due to a head cold or consuming too much alcohol. Unless they have other symptoms, like tiredness during the day, those with infrequent bouts of snoring aren’t usually regarded to have a medical concern. “We’re especially concerned about people who snore often,” says Dr. Marri Horvat, a sleep medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic.

What Is Snoring?

During sleep, snoring is a noise that occurs as a result of inhalation. Each “in” breath makes a sound that ranges from a soft buzz to a very loud snort. Relaxed soft tissues in the mouth and throat vibrate as air passes through, producing these sounds.
“A throat may generate a sound when it flutters, just like a stringed instrument does when it flutters.” Dr. Avram Gold, a pulmonologist and medical director of the Stony Brook University Sleep Disorders Center, explains, “If you can hear it, it’s snoring.”
Tissues involved in the vibrations of snoring include the:
Tongue.
Uvula (which hangs down from the roof of your mouth).
Soft palate (the tissue just below the roof of your mouth).

Snoring Causes

If your airways are restricted, soft tissues in your mouth and throat are more prone to vibrate noisily, forcing you to breathe in the air more forcefully.
The following factors can contribute to a narrowed airway:
Simply lying down.

The muscles in the throat and mouth relax as a result. Lying on your back, in particular, pulls the tissues of the throat and mouth downward, narrowing the airways.
Anatomy.

A longer-than-average soft palate, a deviated septum (a bent wall between the nasal passages), nasal polyps, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids are also possibilities.
Aging.

With aging, the muscles of the tongue and throat may become weaker and “floppier.”
Nasal congestion.

The tissues of the nose can become inflamed as a result of a cold or an allergy.
Gaining weight.

The diaphragms are pushed toward the nose when the windpipe is forced up by abdominal fat. The neck becomes floppy, and the person is more inclined to snore loudly,” Gold explains.
Consumption of alcohol.

During sleep, alcohol causes your throat and mouth tissues to relax more than usual.
Smoking.

“Smokers’ airways get inflamed.” “They’re always bringing irritants into the upper airway,” Gold explains.
Is Snoring Harmful?

Snoring is considered harmless by some people. Others may snore as a symptom of a potentially dangerous condition known as sleep apnea. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea

OSA occurs when a person’s airway becomes blocked during sleep, resulting in brief breathing pauses – until the brain is aroused. This can sometimes wake the sufferer, who then gasps for air, shifts positions start normal breathing, and returns to sleep. This happens several times every hour during sleep.
Central sleep apnea

“Your brain doesn’t trigger your body to take a breath with central sleep apnea,” Horvat explains. During sleep, the brain fails to send signals to the muscles that let you breathe, resulting in breathing declines or pauses, followed by shortness of breath, and finally regular breathing.
Both types of sleep apnea can induce a sore throat or headache in the morning, as well as increased daytime sleepiness, irritability, and difficulties concentrating.
Both conditions can cause high blood pressure, as well as other chronic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, as well as stroke.

Is Snoring Harmful?

Snoring is considered harmless by some people. Others may snore as a symptom of a potentially dangerous condition known as sleep apnea. There are two types of sleep apnea: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a type of obstructive sleep apnea. OSA occurs when a person’s airway becomes blocked during sleep, leading to brief breathing pauses – until the brain is aroused. This can sometimes wake the person, who then gasps for air, changes position starts normal breathing, and returns to sleep. This happens several times every hour during sleep.

Central sleep apnea

“Your brain doesn’t trigger your body to take a breath with central sleep apnea,” Horvat explains. During sleep, the brain fails to provide signals to the muscles that let you breathe, resulting in breathing declines or stops, followed by shortness of breath, and finally regular breathing.
Both types of sleep apnea can induce a sore throat or headache in the morning, as well as increased daytime sleepiness, irritability, and difficulties concentrating. Both illnesses can cause high blood pressure, as well as other chronic diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, as well as stroke.

Another Snoring Risk?

Snoring might create health problems even if you don’t have sleep apnea, according to a new, highly debated theory. There isn’t much evidence for it, and most doctors are either unaware of it or don’t believe it. Over time, gold has gained a following. He claims that “snoring alone is an underappreciated gateway to life-threatening sickness.”

What is it about snoring alone that is potentially harmful to one’s health? “It’s possible that the brain’s early warning system perceives snoring as a threat and initiates the ‘fight or flight’ reaction every night in some people.” “Sleepiness, exhaustion, insomnia, metabolic syndrome, stroke, heart attack, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, TMJ, chronic depression, or anxiety” are all symptoms of chronic stress, according to Gold.

What You Should Do

If you suffer chronic snoring, sleep experts agree that you should see a doctor. Begin by consulting your health care physician, who may refer you to a sleep medicine specialist. “We’ll take a thorough medical history and see if there are any other symptoms that could indicate sleep apnea,” Horvat explains.
If your doctor suspects you’re suffering from snoring-related health issues, you’ll be asked to participate in an overnight sleep study. This occurs in a medical context and examines a variety of elements of your health while you sleep, including:
• Breathing.
• Brain waves.
• Eye movement.
• Heart rate and heart rhythm.
• Muscle movements.
• Nasal and oral oxygen flow.
• Sleep position.
• Sleep stages.
While an in-lab sleep study is the most thorough approach to determine whether snoring is more than just noise, home sleep tests are becoming increasingly popular. Only a handful of the same health factors are measured in-home testing as in-lab sleep studies.
“When we suspect someone has sleep apnea and they have daytime drowsiness but no other conditions,” Horvat says, “home investigations are reasonable.” “However, home testing isn’t as sensitive as lab tests.” As a result, they’re not recommended for those with atrial fibrillation, a history of stroke, heart failure, or concerns about central sleep apnea.”

A Positive Result

If your sleep study reveals that you have sleep apnea, the next step is to receive therapy. It typically involves addressing any underlying disorders and employing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which entails using a bedside pump to supply forced air through a face mask that you wear all night.
Implantable nerve stimulators for any form of sleep apnea are also available, as well as oral appliances for those with obstructive sleep apnea. For persons who do not have sleep apnea, a CPAP machine is occasionally used, but insurance may not cover the device, which costs around $1,000.