Snoring in Adults
It is a strong respiratory noise, rough or harsh that occurs during sleep.
Considerations
Snoring is common in adults and does not necessarily mean you have a health problem.
A doctor (or a sleep specialist) can tell if you have sleep apnea, taking a polysomnography in your home or in a hospital.
Snoring is a major social problem. People who share a bed with someone who snores can develop sleep difficulties.
Causes
In most people, the reason of snoring is unknown. Some possible causes are:
- Being overweight (the extra neck tissue press the airways).
- Swelling of tissue during the last month of pregnancy.
- Blockage in the nose caused by nasal septum (the structure that separates the nostrils) crooked, bent or deformed.
- Nasal polyps.
- Nasal congestion caused by colds or allergies, especially if it lasts a long time.
Changes in the mouth and throat as:
- Swelling in the mouth (soft palate) or uvula, the piece of tissue that hangs down in the back of the mouth. These areas may be longer than normal.
- Swollen adenoids and tonsils, that block the airways.
- Low muscle tone.
- A large area at the base of the tongue or a large tongue compared to the mouth.
- Abnormalities in the bones of the face.
- Using alcohol, antihistamines, or alcohol at bedtime.
Sometimes, snoring can be a sign of a condition called “sleep apnea”. This means you have periods when breathing stops partially or completely for more than 10 seconds while you sleep.
The episode is followed by a sudden snort or gasp when you start breathing again. Then you begin to snore again. If you have sleep apnea, this cycle usually happens many times at night. Sleep apnea is not as common as snoring.
Home Care
The following tips can help to reduce snoring:
- Avoid alcohol and other sedatives at bedtime.
- Do not sleep on your back, sleep on your side if possible.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
If your doctor has provided you with a breathing device, use it regularly. Follow the doctor's advice to treat the symptoms of allergies.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Talk to your doctor if you have:
- A change in the level of attention, concentration or memory.
- Waking up in the morning feeling unrefreshed.
- Episodes of no breathing (apnea) may need your partner to tell if you are snoring loudly or making choking or gasping sounds.
- Excessive sleepiness during the day.
- Morning headaches.
- Recent weight gain.
- Discussions with your partner or other family members.
Children with chronic snoring should also be evaluated for sleep apnea because apnea in children has been associated with growth problems, hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder (ADHD), poor school performance, learning difficulties, bedwetting and hypertension. Most children who snore do NOT have apnea, but a sleep study is the only reliable way to check it.
What to Expect at your medical check?
The doctor will make questions to evaluate your snoring. You will also do a physical exam that focuses on the throat, mouth and neck.
Questions may include the following (some questions may be answered by your couple):
- Is your snoring loud?
- Do you snore no matter what position you are lying or only in certain positions?
- Ever wake up with your own snoring?
- How often do you snore? Every night?
- Do you snore all night?
- Episodes? Absence of breathing?
- Do you have other symptoms like daytime drowsiness, morning headaches, insomnia, or memory loss?
It could be necessary to visit a sleep specialist to take a polysomnography.
Among the treatment options are:
- Oral mandibular advancement devices to prevent retraction of the tongue and other tissues.
- Weight loss.
- If you have sleep apnea, use a CPAP mask (a device that is placed in the nose while sleeping to decrease snoring and apnea).
- Surgical procedures on your palate.
- Surgery to correct a deviated septum or remove tonsils (tonsillectomy).
- Other types of surgery involving the airway.
References:
Franklin KA, Anttila H, Axelsson S, Gislason T, Maasilta P, Myhre KI, et al. Effects and side-effects of surgery for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea - a systematic review. Sleep. 2009, 32:27-36.
Friedman M, Schalch P. Surgery of the palate and oropharynx. Otolaryngol Clin North Am, 2007 Aug 40 (4):829-43.
Patil SP, Schneider H, Schwartz AR, Smith PL. Adult obstructive sleep apnea: pathophysiology and diagnosis.Chest. 2007 Jul, 132 (1):325-37.
Basner RC. Continuous positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea. N Engl J Med 2007 April 26 356 (17):1751-8.
Updated: 8/31/2011
Version Reviewed By: Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH, Otolaryngologist, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, ADAM, Inc.
Translation and Localization by: DrTango, Inc
Taken from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/spanish/ency/article/003207.htm