I think I have mentioned about a man who snored a lot in the neighborhood I resided when I was in school in Akure. The distance from where the snore came from was one thing that amazed me and for we who live in the silent community to hear him snoring, then it was a loud one but what causes snoring.
The last one wee has been busy for me as I had to prepare for my Compulsory National Youth Service Corp Program. I just arrived camp yesterday and I am just settling in, trying to do my registration today and getting things done. I will be sharing images of my camp experience once I am settled in and have all the necessary things including my Uniform but for now, why do people snore or to put in a better perspective, why do you snore.
Normally we breath in and out air and this is part of our involuntary physiologic process known as respiration. When we do this while awake, we do not experience any blockage, causing us to breath freely and not make any noises but when there is an obstruction around the muscles of the throat and in our airways, it leads to the making of sounds known as snoring.
The major cause for snoring is nasal congestion or the blockage of the nose which could arise from cold, allergies, or sinus trouble, then it could be harder to breath in or our properly causing the body to result to breathing from the mouth while sleeping which could lead to snoring. People with weak throat muscles can also have issues with snoring as well as people who are aged. As we grow older, our muscles begin to weaken including the muscles of the throat and when this happens it can lead partial obstruction which causes snoring.
Alcohol and smoking relaxes the muscles in the throat more than it should usually be and this causes snoring. Also smoking causes inflammation in the muscles of the throat and the airways leading to snoring. Another factor that people do not consider much is sleeping position which is a major reason why a lot of people snore. When we sleep on our back, gravity causes the tongue and the muscles of the throat to fall backwards leading to the narrowing of the airway. A lot of people who sleep on their back tend to snore and those who snore normally then snore harder.
While I mention that sleep position can cause a person to snore, it i not the only reason for snoring. Another reason for people snore is being overweight. I have a cousin who is overweight and he snores a lot. He is always shy to sleep in public especially when the people he goes to visit aren't snoring. He snores very loud and this is because the weight puts extra pressure on the airway which leads to the narrowing of the airways which causes obstruction leading to snoring.
Stating the problem without looking into possible solutions is not the way to go, so let me share possible solutions or ways to manage snoring. First is to clear the nasal passage of any congestion such as catarrh, also if there are any forms of allergies that obstructs the airways, then it is fine to clear them using OTC medications. Stop smoking and taking alcohol excessively or better still stop taking alcohol at night so you do not have a relaxed muscle when sleeping.
Stop smoking to prevent inflammation to the throat muscles as well as any other smoking related problem. Sleeping on the side is a better way to stop snoring instead of sleeping on the back which leads to the relaxation of the tongue and the muscles of the throat. Sleeping on the side keeps the airway open and stops snoring.
READ MORE
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/snoring/symptoms-causes/syc-20377694
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/snoring/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/648438
https://www.harleystreetent.com/Our-Services/Nose/Nose-Symptoms/Blocked-Nose-Snoring
https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/alcohol-and-snoring
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3644827/
