brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Snoring
Causes of Snoring
Primary snoringis snoring that does not cause people to wake up more often than normal during the night. During sleep, the amount of airflow into the lungs and oxygen level in the blood are normal. Because these factors are normal, people do not have excessive daytime sleepiness. Snoring is often a symptom of sleep-disordered breathing. Sleep-disordered breathing ranges from upper airway resistance syndrome to Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). These conditions differ mainly in how much of the airway is blocked (degree of airway obstruction) and where the blockage is. The effects involve mainly disturbances of sleep and/or airflow. Every hour during sleep, people with OSA have five or more brief episodes when they stop breathing or when their breathing is very shallow. They also have one or more of the following: Daytime sleepiness, episodes of unintentionally falling asleep, unrefreshing sleep, fatigue, or insomnia Waking up with breath holding, gasping, or choking Reports by a bed partner of loud snoring, interruptions in breathing, or both during the person's sleep Upper airway resistance syndromecauses excessive daytime sleepiness or other symptoms but not all that is required for doctors to diagnose OSA. For example, it, unlike OSA, does not cause breathing to stop or become shallow many times during sleep. Whether snoring itself has adverse effects is unclear. However, people who have OSA have an increased risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disorders, and diabetes. Risk factors for snoring include Older age (over 50) Obesity, particularly fat distributed around the neck or midriff Use of alcohol (a very common cause of snoring) or other sedatives Long-term (chronic) nasal congestion A small jaw or a jaw that is farther back than normal Menopause Male sex Pregnancy Abnormalities that can block airflow, such as large tonsils, a large tongue, a large soft palate, a deviated nasal septum, and nasal polyps Snoring frequently occurs in families. 