Snoring - Causes and Treatment - Avicenna Health

Patient History:

Have you ever heard a hoarse sound from your partner that keeps you from sleeping?

Do you have sleep deprivation because of this sound?

Have you ever been told that you make a bothering sound while you sleep?

If you have ever experienced one of these situations, you may need to read our new article about snoring.

Definition of snoring:

Snoring: a whistling sound caused by the airflow through the throat tissue while sleeping.

Snoring can bother your partner in most cases, especially when it is a chronic problem.

It can affect anyone at any age, and usually, it is not a severe problem.

But in some cases, it can hide a serious condition behind this hoarse sound.

How much time does it last?

Mainly, most people snore from time to time. But in some cases, it can be a chronic condition due to a lot of possible causes. Some of these causes can be well-managed using home remedies or lifestyle-changing advice.

Symptoms:

Snoring by itself is a symptom of other conditions.

People may only snore while sleeping. But sometimes, snoring can be accompanied by other symptoms that help doctors determine the problem.

These symptoms may include:

- Breathing-stops attack

- Choking - during sleeping

- Drowsiness at the daytime

- Headaches – especially in the morning

- Difficulty concentration 

Causes:

Snoring mainly occurs when the tissue like the tongue or the airway gets narrow or enlarge, or any other cause that partially blocks the airflow.

So that there are so many factors that can be considered as a reason for snoring, like:

- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids

- Nasal congestion

- Sinusitis

- Deviated nasal septum

- Nasal polyps

Sleep deprivation also plays a role; when people cannot get enough sleep, their muscles may over relax, leading to airflow blocking that will eventually cause snoring.

Risk Factors:

- Overweighed patients

- Alcohol consumption

- Male patients more than female ones

- Smoking

- Sleeping on the back

- Patient who has relatives with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or snoring history

When to see a doctor?

As we have already mentioned snoring is not a critical problem. Still, it becomes a real one when it bothers your partner or is accompanied by other symptoms that indicate a hided condition that seeks a medical consultation.

Other signs and symptoms that indicate a severe condition include:

- High blood pressure

- Breathing pauses or choking while sleeping

- Chest pain

Diagnosis:

Full medical history with good physical exams will help determine the cause of snoring.

A doctor may ask you a few questions and run some imaging procedures like x-ray or CT scan to exclude anatomical causes like deviated septum as an example.

Furthermore, polysomnography can be performed in sleep centers.

Polysomnography is a sleep study that measures many things while you sleep, like breathing rate, heart rate, oxygen levels, brain waves, and body movements.

Polysomnography is often used when the patient is likely to have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Differential Diagnosis:

As we have mentioned above, snoring is a symptom, not a disease by itself, and the differential diagnosis of the possible causes often include:

- Tonsillitis 

- Deviated septum

- Congestion and blocked nasal airways

- Long soft palate

- Sleeping pills

- Alcohol consumption 

Management:

Managing snoring conditions depends on the cause.

Your doctor may recommend some lifestyle changes like quitting smoking or reducing the amount of alcohol you drink. 

Losing weight can also help you if you are overweight.

Getting enough sleep and avoiding sleeping on the back may solve the problem in some cases.

Decongestant could be a solution if you have congestion.

Surgery should be in consideration if you have an anatomical problem.

Last but not least, if you were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, you might need to use a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP device) which is a mask that pumps air into your airway to keep it from closing or narrowing while you sleep.

And remember, if you have any concerns about non-emergent health conditions, you may schedule a telemedicine consult with the Avicenna Health provider for an individualized consultation.

References:

-      Mayoclinic.org

-      Webmd.com

-      Nhs.uk

-      hopkinsmedicine.org