Snoring: stopping is possible.

Why do we snore?

Snoring is the sound produced bysoft tissue vibrationof the throat (palate, uvula, base of the tongue) when air encounters resistance when passing during sleep. The narrower the airway, the more it vibrates and the more it sounds.

There are two very different scenarios. Theronquido simple it bothers and affects the couple's rest, but it does not interrupt breathing. Thesnoring associated with apnoeaHowever, it is accompanied by respiratory pauses that fragment sleep and have consequences for the heart. From the outside they may look the same; inside they are not.

The only way to know which one you are facing isstudy sleep. If you snore loudly, have been seen taking breaks, or wake up tired, it is worth evaluating it.

What snorers have in common

Snoring occurs in almost a20% of the adult population. Most snorers are men who usually started snoring in adolescence. In some cases, snoring can already appear in children, especially if they have thickened tonsils or adenoids.

People who snore usually have anatomical characteristics such as nasal obstructions (polyps, deviated septum), thickening of the uvula (bella), soft palate, enlarged adenoids or tonsils, or anomalies that cause upper airway obstruction. It is also common to find fatty deposits on the walls of the airways, typical in people with obesity.

The common denominator is the existence of apermanent or functional narrowingat various levels of the upper airway, which produces an intense vibration on the walls of the pharynx: that sound is snoring. Snoring rarely bothers the person emitting it, but it does bother the person listening to it; Sharing a room with a snorer can be a frustrating experience.

Recommendations to improve snoring

There are simple measures that can reduce snoring. Its effectiveness depends on the cause, but many of them are part of the first step of the approach:

• If your snoring worsens when sleeping on your back, avoid that position. A home remedy consists of placing two tennis balls in a cloth bag attached to the back of the garment in which you sleep; Sometimes it is enough to raise the head of the bed up to 45 degrees.
• Dry air irritates the nasal mucosa: install ahumidifierin the bedroom it can help.
• Some foods contain allergens that narrow the airways. carry afood diaryfor three or four weeks allows them to be identified.
• Avoid alcohol in the evening: it relaxes the muscles of the pharynx and increases snoring.
• Avoid thebenzodiazepines to sleep, because they worsen snoring and the severity of apnoea.
• Don't smoke: tobacco dries out and inflamonth the mucous membranes.
• It may be helpful to raise the head of the bed or use more than one pillow.
• Thesurgery it may be an alternative if there is an anatomical anomaly (deviated septum, thickening of the uvula and soft palate). There are minimally invasive techniques, under local anesthesia, with rapid recovery.
• Themandibular advancement devicesThey are a non-invasive alternative: they act as dental covers that advance the jaw with respect to the upper jaw, widening the retrolingual area and making snoring and apnoea disappear while they are used.

When snoring is a sign of apnoea

Not all snorers have apnoea, but intense snoring is the most common sign. The key difference is that in thesleep apneasnoring is accompanied bybreathing pauses: The person stops breathing for seconds, then resumonth with a loud noise or snort.

If you also snore you feeldaytime sleepiness, you wake up with a dry mouth, you have frequent awakenings or you have been told that you “run out of air” while you sleep, apnoea should be ruled out. Studying sleep distinguishes it with certainty.

At the Sleep Research Institute we perform polygraphy or polysomnography to find out if there is apnoea behind your snoring, and thus indicate the appropriate treatment.

How to stop snoring

Treatment depends onwhat's behind the snoring. If apnoea is present, we address it as such (CPAP, mandibular advancement device, measurements). In simple snoring we start with the measures that help the most:lose weight, avoid alcohol at night, do not sleep on your back and treat nasal obstruction.

Depending on the case, we value amandibular advancement devicetailored—very effective in snoring and mild apnoea—and, when there is a specific anatomical cause (nose, tonsils, palate), we coordinate with surgery. The important thing is not to stop at “put on a nasal strip”: studying snoring avoids overlooking apnoea.