Hello everyone!!!
Namaste and greetings. Snoring is a common and worldwide problem affecting millions of people worldwide. Although surfacely it may feel normal, in severe cases it might reflect some underlying serious medical problems. Understanding the basics of the physiology of snoring and solutions to overcome it may improve both the quality of life and overall health.
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What is snoring?
Snoring is the harsh sound produced during sleep due to airflow through partially obstructed upper airway.
Physiology of snoring
It usually involves a chain reaction.
a) Relaxation of the upper airway: When we are awake and conscious, the pharyngeal dilators muscles of the upper airway remains constructed that dilates the airway and keeps it patent. When a person is asleep, these pharyngeal dilators loses the muscle tone and relaxes causing it to sagging and more vibration is produced by these muscles during passage of air through it.
b) Anatomical factors: Tonsillar hypertrophy, deviated nasal septum and thick soft palate may reduce the diameter of the upper airway.
c) Bernoulli phenomenon: When the natural diameter of the upper airway narrows and same volume of air is inhaled and exhaled, the air moves with a much greater velocity that causes tissue vibration.
d) Vibration of upper airway tissue: The fast velocity of air and negative suctioning effect pulls the unsupported soft tissues of the uvula, soft palate and pharyngeal walls moving it rapidly to produce the natural sound of snoring.
e) Alcohol use: Use of the alcohol before sleep relaxes the muscles of upper airway more intensely causing them to vibrate vigorously during sleep.
e) sleep posture: Sleeping on back often produces the backward displacement of tongue and makes it falls back further blocking the airway.
f) Obesity: Excess body weight and fat around neck causes further compression of neck muscles producing snoring.
Although snoring is common, there are certain conditions when we should visit the clinicians.
i) Morning headaches
ii) Excessive daytime somnolence
iii) Memory loss
iv) Easy fatigability
v) Lack of concentration at work or study
Solutions
a) Reduce weight: Reduce the excess weight and keep the Body Mass Index between 18.5 to 25 so that the excess fat can be reduced and the neck muscles do not constrict.
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b) Avoid alcohol during sleep: May help significantly by reducing muscle relaxation.
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c) Sleep on lateral position: Sleep usually on left lateral position that improves tongue fall back and improves the airway.
d) Treatment nasal obstruction: May use nasal decongestants, steroid nasal sprays and saline nasal douches the reduces the nasal congestion and relieves from nasal obstruction.
Conclusion
Although snoring is a common problem, sometimes it may indicate common medical problems and may produce serious effect in overall health and mental state and concentration, in that case I suggest everyone to seek medical attention for appropriate solutions.
References