Snoring: This Helps!

Snoring is usually caused by a narrowing of the upper airway. Behind such a narrowing can be various – usually harmless – causes. Snoring is only dangerous if breathing stops during the night. In such a case, we speak of sleep apnea. This severe form of snoring should definitely be examined by a doctor. Harmless snoring, on the other hand, can be prevented by various means and measures – such as the right sleeping position or a nose patch. Read here what you can do against annoying snoring.

Snoring is widespread

Snoring is a phenomenon that is relatively common – especially with age, more and more people snore. It affects about 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women. While in many people the snoring sounds are relatively quiet, in some cases they are very loud and disturbing. For example, the Guinness Book of Records records a snoring volume of 93 decibels. This is roughly equivalent to the background noise of a busy highway.

Causes of snoring

During sleep, relaxation of the respiratory muscles occurs. If the muscles are slack, they can be made to vibrate by the airflow as you breathe in and out. The uvula and soft palate are often affected, and in rare cases, the pharynx and base of the tongue. The sounds produced by the vibration of the muscles are known as snoring. Often, snoring is caused by a narrowing of the upper airway. This is because when the airways are narrowed, the flow velocity of the inhaled air increases and the pressure in the throat decreases. This favors the vibration of the slackened muscles. There are several causes of narrowing of the upper airway:

  • (allergic) rhinitis
  • Inflammation of the sinuses
  • Curvature of the nasal septum
  • Nasal polyps
  • Enlargement of the tonsils on the palate and in the throat
  • Shortened lower jaw
  • Fat accumulation in the throat due to excess weight

Sleep apnea is dangerous

Normal snoring, in which the air enters the lungs without problems, is not dangerous. Even their own sleep quality usually does not suffer. The situation is different with so-called sleep apnea. This is a pronounced snoring, which can be accompanied by recurrent breathing stops. These can last up to 30 seconds or even longer. The deterioration in the quality of sleep can cause symptoms such as daytime sleepiness, fatigue, nervousness and difficulty concentrating. Studies also suggest that the risk of certain diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke increases. This is due to the fact that the lack of oxygen during the night triggers a significant stress reaction in the body. Test: do you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea?

Prevent snoring – 5 tips

If snoring occurs only for a short time – for example, during a cold – no treatment is necessary. However, if you snore regularly and thus disturb the night’s rest of your partner, it makes sense to do something against snoring. We reveal some simple tips and tricks that you can use to prevent snoring.

  1. Snoring is especially common in the supine position. Therefore, try to sleep on your side or stomach. You can support a change in sleeping position by sewing tennis balls into your pajamas or by wearing a sleep vest.
  2. Refrain from alcohol, sedatives, sleeping pills and muscle relaxants, as these provide additional relaxation of the respiratory muscles.
  3. If you are overweight, try to reduce your weight. This will reduce fat deposits on the throat and pharynx, and the airways will be less blocked.
  4. Try using nasal patches from the pharmacy to curb snoring. The patches widen the nostrils and thus facilitate breathing. They are especially recommended if a cold is the cause of snoring.
  5. In the case of allergic rhinitis – for example, due to an allergy to dust mites – the use of special allergy covers is recommended to reduce the discomfort.

What to do about snoring?

If our first aid tips do not lead to an improvement in snoring, you should consider other treatment options.If you snore with your mouth open, a snoring bandage can be helpful. The lower jaw is fixed with the help of an elastic strap so that the mouth is kept closed at night. The same effect is achieved by using an oral vestibule plate, which is placed between the lips and the front teeth. It is equipped with a pressure indicator that provides information about the correct fit of the plate. By using the vestibular plate, breathing through the mouth is suppressed. In addition, the tongue is pressed against the front teeth, opening the airway. A mandibular advancement splint keeps the lower jaw in a fixed position during sleep. This prevents the tongue from falling back and keeps the airways clear. Such a splint leads to an improvement in symptoms in more than 50 percent of cases. A palatal brace ensures that the soft palate is fixed. The brace prevents the airway behind the soft palate from closing. Air can thus pass through the airways without resistance during sleep and the development of snoring sounds is prevented.

Treat sleep apnea

If you suspect that you have breathing pauses during sleep, you should ideally visit a sleep laboratory. Here, it can be checked whether you actually have sleep apnea. If this is the case, wearing a breathing mask at night can help. The mask increases the pressure in the airways and prevents them from collapsing. This prevents snoring. Still in the testing phase is the tongue pacemaker, which prevents the tongue muscle from slackening by emitting electrical impulses. The small device is implanted under the skin in the area of the collarbone. The extent of the pacemaker‘s benefit and whether there are risks associated with its use have yet to be verified.

Surgery as a last resort

Snoring can also be remedied in part by surgery. However, surgery is not always successful – that is why it should always be considered only as a last resort. Also, before surgery, have your doctor inform you in detail about the risks and side effects of the procedure. In some cases, surgery can cause injuries to the palate, teeth, uvula and tongue, as well as unpleasant scars. In some cases, patients may also have problems swallowing or speaking after snoring surgery.

Common surgical procedures

The following is an overview of common surgical procedures:

  • Palatal (soft palate) plastic surgery: in this procedure, the soft palate is sutured up a bit. In addition, some tissue is vaporized from the underside of the inferior turbinate. This is to eliminate the narrowing of the airway.
  • Uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty: in this procedure, the palate and mucosa of the pharynx are tightened and the uvula is partially removed. Nowadays, gentler procedures such as laser-assisted uvula-palato-plasty are usually advised.
  • Radiofrequency therapy: in this method, tissue is removed from the pharyngeal area by high-dose radio waves. In addition, the tissue in the throat is tightened by artificial scarring under the mucosa.

Lead too large tonsils, polyps in the nose, a crooked nasal septum or inflammation of the maxillary sinuses for the narrowing of the airways, this can also be corrected surgically. However, here too, be thoroughly informed about possible risks in advance.