Snoring is a special disease of the respiratory system, in which during sleep a person reproduces a low sound resembling rattling. Snoring is an urgent problem of our time. The characteristic sound occurs as a result of vibration of the tissues of the nasopharynx and larynx during breathing.
Snoring can occur as a symptom of some otorhinolaryngological diseases (including cancer), as well as the presence of overweight (or even obesity) in the patient, as well as other functional disorders.
Respiratory distress may be accompanied by another respiratory pathology – attacks of night apnea, which can lead to quite serious somatic disorders. As a result of apnea, chronic oxygen deficiency develops, which is considered one of the most common causes that can cause a heart attack and stroke.
Also, snoring is a problem not only for others because of loud sounds, but also for the patient himself, since normal sleep is disrupted as a result of snoring.
CAUSES OF SNORING
About one in four or five people on Earth suffers from snoring. Sleep apnea develops in about 4% of the world’s inhabitants.
One of the reasons for snoring is a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the respiratory tract, as a result of which, during breathing, not only air, but also relaxed muscles are drawn into the lungs under the influence of negative pressure. Soft tissues vibrate and form a characteristic rattling sound. Apnea also occurs as a result of the closure of the tissues of the larynx and pharynx.
Anatomical features of a person can also contribute to the development of snoring – for example, narrowing of the upper respiratory tract. Curvature of the nasal septum can also cause snoring.
Some diseases of the ENT organs that cause snoring:
Nasal polyps.
Curvature of the nasal septum, inflammation of the tonsils, adenoids (enlargement of the nasopharyngeal tonsil and pathological overgrowth).
Abnormally enlarged palatal uvula.
Increased body weight, obesity.
Causes of snoring that are temporary:
Menopause in women
Diseases of the thyroid gland
Smoking
Alcohol intake
Taking sleeping pills
Fatigue
Lack of sleep
SYMPTOMS OF SNORING
By itself, snoring interferes with the normal course of sleep in the patient, since with the development of too loud sounds, the patient develops many micro-arousals during one sleep cycle, which disrupt sleep, preventing the patient’s brain from completely resting and recovering.
If snoring is complicated by night apnea attacks, this can lead to quite serious somatic consequences. During apnea, the lungs do not receive enough oxygen, as a result of which the brain will be supplied with fewer necessary gases. With a prolonged course of apnea, oxygen deficiency develops, which is a provoking factor in the development of such dangerous diseases as myocardial infarction and stroke. Snoring can also lead to the development of hypertension, arrhythmia.
TREATMENT OF SNORING AND APNEA
Treatment of snoring begins with identifying the causes that cause it. If the cause is overweight, the patient should normalize the weight. It is also necessary to give up sleeping pills, alcohol and smoking.
In the presence of diseases of the ENT organs, the patient will need an ENT consultation to stop the underlying diseases. Probably, if the cause is a curvature of the nasal septum or hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsil, surgical intervention will have to be used as a treatment.
Snoring occurs most often in the position of the patient on his back – in this case, the patient is recommended to develop a rule to sleep on his stomach or on his side.
