Snoring occurs when your airway is obstructed during sleep. Typically, this happens due to the soft tissues colliding in the back of your throat. That collision creates a vibration, snoring. Adults that snore periodically are not alone, estimating that chronic snoring affects 24 percent of women, 40 percent of men, and 10 percent of children. Children might snore due to missing teeth, altering the shape of tissues within their mouth, a contributing factor to blocked airways. Causes of snoring are plentiful, including:
Tiredness or fatigue throughout the day are common consequences of snoring and, when it is quite severe, you might not be receiving sufficient oxygen at night. Feelings of illness or fatigue should be relayed to our office immediately. As you snore, you are breathing with your mouth open, which creates dryness that can generate bad breath, bacteria buildup, tooth decay, infections, and sores.
Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your upper airway becomes blocked while you sleep. As a result, your diaphragm and chest muscles have to work harder to open your airway and pull air into your lungs. Your breath can become extremely shallow, or briefly stop altogether before you start to breathe again with a loud gasp, snort, or body jerk. This condition can also lower the flow of oxygen to your organs and create uneven heart rhythms. Since there are many other medical conditions that can cause these symptoms, we advise you to speak with us about it at your next appointment.
Snoring is the sound that projects from your mouth when you are asleep. This occurs when there is resistance in your airway caused by a flap in the back of your throat. Although many believe that snoring occurs from the nose, it actually begins behind your tongue. This is due to our muscles relaxing during sleep. As we sleep, our airway gets smaller, which causes our throat to vibrate due to a lack of space, which is what makes the snoring sound.
Snoring can occur for more serious reasons though, and one such reason is sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is when your breathing takes multiple breaks during the sleep cycle. If you are suffering from sleep apnea, there is a high chance you snore as well. To stop snoring from occurring, there are snoring devices you can use. A snoring device brings your jaw forward so the tissues in your throat do not vibrate and press against one another. A snoring mouthpiece helps open your airway, which reduces the resistance and relaxes your muscles. The three most popular snoring mouthpieces are the mandibular advancement device (MAD), tongue stabilizing devices, and snoring chin straps.
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