Oral Health | Snoring Is Just An Annoying Noise, Right?

Are you a snorer? Do people complain about having to sleep next to you, or in the same room as you? If so, you are not alone as a study shows that 45% of people frequently snore, per the American Academy of Otolaryngology. With this being said, is snoring just an annoying noise that keeps people awake, or is it more serious than that? 

Snoring is a result of your airways being constricted while you sleep, and the air causing vibrations as it passes through. The most common group of people who suffer with it is adults males who are overweight. However, with that being said, snoring can affect anyone—even children. In children, it is often a result of adenoids or tonsils that are too large and are partially blocking the airway. If this is the case for your child, a surgical procedure to remove the adenoids or tonsils should fix the problem as well as relieve their snoring.

More often than not, snoring is nothing to worry about and not a sign of something serious. Like we said above, snoring is often triggered by being overweight. If this is the case for you, losing weight should relieve your snoring as the airways are opened up due to a decrease in fat. 

Below, Dr. Faist outlines several others factors that could cause snoring:

• Inferior muscle tone/strength in your tongue and throat
• Tonsils and/adenoids that are too large
• Cysts, tumors, or growths in your airway
• A stuffy/blocked nasal cavity

One major concern of snoring is that it is a sign of sleep apnea. It is believed that roughly half of all snorers are affected by sleep apnea; most commonly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). To know what is causing your snoring, you should undergo a sleep study. After you know what the cause of your problem is, you may want to consider receiving sleep therapy. If you are suffering from OSA, it can lead to many other health problems including the following: 

• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
• And more… 

Make sure to be on the look out for our next blog article where Dr. Faist will review OSA in addition to looking at a second form of sleep apnea. 

Looking for a dentist?

If you live in the Chagrin Falls or Beachwood, OH area, and are in need of a dentist, feel free to contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Faist.