We all know and recognize the snoring sound. This noise appears during the night and comes from the air passage in the throat area. But why do people snore? Let’s explore this a little bit in this article.
You can take snoring as a symptom of another disorder. The main cause is vibration in the muscle and tissues in the throat area and we are talking more specifically here about the uvula and the soft palate. There are also sub-causes that will lead to the vibration, and it is good to understand them if we want to know how to stop snorring.
When we sleep, the muscles in the throat are as relaxed as any other muscle in the body. This narrows down considerably the air passage, causing vibrations along the way, since there is more “friction” with the air. The size of the passage will vary the snoring sound – it will get louder when there is little space for air pass and when the air passes faster. Nobody is free from snoring; even babies can have this problem! In the case of babies it is very important to talk with a doctor immediately to discard any blockage problems.
The vibrations can also be a result of a more serious condition called sleep apnea. To discard a condition of this type, you might need to undergo a sleep study to check if there are any episodes of apnea during the night.
Middle-aged men are the ones who are more prone of developing snoring, since the neck is wider and has more muscular tissue. On the other hand, women snore less than men because they produce progesterone hormones, which help a lot in inhibiting snoring.
There are other causes of snoring such as excess weight, alcohol consumption, smoking, and of course the sleeping position. Knowing the exact trigger will be key on learning how you can avoid snoring during the night.