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Snoring Causes
What Causes Snoring?
The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This area is the collapsible part of the airway (see illustration) where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing.
People who snore may suffer from:
- Poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat. When muscles are too relaxed, either from alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness, the tongue falls backwards into the airway or the throat muscles draw in from the sides into the airway. This can also happen during deep sleep.
- Excessive bulkiness of throat tissue. Children with large tonsils and adenoids often snore. Overweight people have bulky neck tissue, too. Cysts or tumors can also cause bulk, but they are rare.
- Long soft palate and/or uvula. A long palate narrows the opening from the nose into the throat. As it dangles, it acts as a noisy flutter valve during relaxed breathing. A long uvula makes matters even worse
- Obstructed nasal airways. A stuffy or blocked nose requires extra effort to pull air through it. This creates an exaggerated vacuum in the throat, and pulls together the floppy tissues of the throat, and snoring results. So, snoring often occurs only during the hay fever season or with a cold or sinus infection.
- Also, deformities of the nose or nasal septum, such as a deviated septum (a deformity of the wall that separates one nostril from the other) can cause such an obstruction.
Is Snoring Serious?
Socially, yes! It can be, when it makes the snorer an object of ridicule and causes others sleepless nights and resentfulness.
Medically, yes! It disturbs sleeping patterns and deprives the snorer of appropriate rest. When snoring is severe, it can cause serious, long-term health problems, including obstructive sleep apnea.
Learn more about sleep apnea...
SERVICE HIGHLIGHTS
Coastal Ear, Nose and Throat offers specialized care including board certified/fellowship-trained physicians/surgeons treating adult and pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders. Our state-of-the-art equipment and facilities in Neptune, NJ allow us to expertly plan your medical and/or surgical care. Services include sinus surgery, Balloon Sinuplasty, minimally invasive skull base surgery, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, ear tubes, tracheal reconstruction, mastoidectomy, stapedectomy, thyroidectomy, parathyroid exploration, head and neck cancer surgery, parotidectomy, sleep apnea surgery, hearing tests, hearing aids, and VNG (videonystagmography).
COASTAL EAR, NOSE AND THROAT, LLC , 3700 Route 33 Suite 101, Neptune, NJ 07753 * Phone (732) 280-7855 * Fax (732) 280-7815
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