The Serious Side of Snoring: Snoring Causes and Symptoms

Asking “what is snoring?” is something many ask. Why do people snore? Are there ways to stop snoring? Is snoring dangerous? Is snoring genetic? All questions that have plagued the minds of those suffering from or have a partner suffering from snoring. What causes snoring may not be exactly what you think. Snoring occurs when the tissues in your throat vibrate as air passes through them. This commonly happens during sleep because these tissues tend to relax, which in addition to other influences, could change our nightly breathing process and force us to emit those forceful grunts and snorts and other snoring sound effects.

No matter how much you want it in your lungs, don’t blame the air. There are numerous other causes of snoring that could be creating snoring problems and have you wondering how to get rid of snoring and how to stop snoring permanently.

For instance:

Your Sleep Habits

There are many ways to stop snoring that you can try and the trick to stop snoring may be discovering your quirks and habits of sleep. Figuring out these ways to stop snoring could be crucial to determining what causes snoring and how to stop snoring and snoring sound effects once and for all. If you can discover what causes snoring at night, you may be able to overcome it by a simple positional adjustment or if there could be more serious health concerns at play.

First of all, do you sleep with an open mouth? If the answer is yes, then you should probably know that figuring out how to stop snoring may start with understanding that sleeping with an open mouth could mean that you aren’t getting enough air through your nose so your mouth is compensating by harshly pulling air in, causing that soft tissue to vibrate along your throat.

Allergies are also a common perpetrator behind what causes snoring. Having allergies during the day while you’re awake can be brutal and make you want to sleep just so you can have a break from them, but the health concerns behind that stress on your sleep can be serious. It’s not always as simple as taking an allergy pill to get rid of snoring.

There are a number of ways you may try to get rid of snoring from seasonal allergies like the Neti Pot, a method where you actually use a saltwater concoction to drain the mucus from your nasal cavity. However, pouring water in one nostril and hoping it comes out of the other one is not for everyone so another option would be to consider the several brands of over-the-counter medications that work for a lucky handful of people. On the other hand, if the problem persists, you may want to see an allergist for a professional opinion. Allergists can pinpoint what it is that your body is so opposed to; useful information when it comes to preventing allergies in the first place.

Back sleepers beware: allergies or no allergies, the position you sleep in could also be a reason for your trouble. Your throat could be constricting or your tongue blocking your airway if your head and neck aren’t properly aligned. This has a lot to do with the type of pillow you sleep on. Too big, too small, or just right, the size of your pillow will determine if you have enough room to breathe properly so make sure you aren’t causing yourself discomfort by simple pillow miscalculation.

Luckily, there are special pillows available as the snoring solution. These are designed to keep your head and neck aligned naturally so you can breathe in as much air as possible. They are also made out of hypoallergenic materials to combat those unruly allergies. Proper pillow selection is one of the healthiest adult things you can do. Kill two birds with one stone, then sleep like one (the stone, not a dead bird).

Your Health

Your health is a huge indicator of what causes snoring. Consider all of the obvious health detriments you experience when your body isn’t performing at an efficient capacity: physical pain and discomfort, visible wear and tear on your body, and the general feeling that something is not right. If you want to know how to get rid of snoring (and what could be considered in the ‘home remedies for snoring’ camp), take a look at your health first. Simple changes may lead you to finding out how to stop snoring permanently if you’re willing to commit to better habits.

Obesity

Your solution for how to stop snoring may begin with losing weight. If you’re wondering “is snoring dangerous?” or “is snoring genetic?”, the answer may be in your weight. Genetics may play a role in obesity, which can become dangerous, and snoring is sometimes a symptom of obesity. As a person becomes unfit they tend to not sleep very well because they aren’t getting the proper diet and exercise that contributes to good sleep. In turn, lack of sleep worsens health even more and can cause increase in appetite or worse, sleep apnea, which is a cause of snoring and very serious health condition. Those concerned about snoring and sleep apnea as well as ways to stop snoring should consult with a medical health professional to see what steps can be taken to discover ways to stop snoring permanently before it affects your life.

Medication

It could be that your medications are a cause of your snoring as well. These medications will have unwanted side effects such as weight gain, REM sleep suppression, insomnia, and links to diabetes. It’s important to know the facts about the medications you’re taking and if they could be contributing to your snoring.

Your Lifestyle

The way you live determines pretty much everything about you. Your diet, exercise and habits build who you are each day, even the smallest things you might consider without effect can help shape you overtime. In other words, “put good in, get good out”. On the other hand, “put bad in, snore all night long”.

Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol consumption is a big player in the snore game for a number of reasons. First of all, since alcohol works as a muscle relaxer, it can cause those muscles in your throat to relax to the point where the soft tissue vibrates and blocks your airway.

You’ve probably heard that alcohol helps you sleep on some occasions and while that may be true for some, the quality of sleep is poor and can affect your breathing patterns to cause snoring. In addition, alcohol dries you out which could cause that soft tissue to vibrate even louder, wreaking havoc on the airway.

While alcohol isn’t the sole cause of snoring, it decidedly worsens its effects. If you’re wondering how to stop snoring and you like drinking before bed, trying to cut down on consumption can be a good first step towards controlling your nightly nasal battles.

Sex and Sleep

Have you ever wondered how your sex life could be affecting your sleeping patterns and if it what causes snoring? You’re not alone, the relationship between sex and sleep has been extensively studied. Having sex before sleeping has numerous benefits, it contributes to deeper sleep and less levels of stress through the release of oxytocin and prolactin: hormones that promote social bonding and relaxation (and may even be one of the home remedies for snoring!). In turn, better sleep equals increased sex drive; a win-win snowballing rollercoaster of pleasure.

In regards to the relationship between sex and good sleep, what happens when a partner’s snoring is affecting the sleep of the other partner? Reduced sleep means more stress and often as a result, a lower sex drive or attraction to a partner. Think about it, if your partner is snoring all night, taking away your precious hours of deep sleep, are you going to be in the mood to jump their bones? The answer is, probably not. In fact, some studies show that as snoring increases, sexual satisfaction declines. Not only is it apparent that snoring can affect your health but it also can affect the health of your partner and your overall relationship. Read on below for tips to stop snoring and, in turn, help your relationships.

Smoking

The health risks associated with smoking are famously known. Health advertisements are well equipped to show the deadly effects and alarming statistics of smoking. Sure, commercials might display skeletons smoking and a regretful father missing the birth of his child because he needed his tobacco fix, but there’s no disputing that smoking is an absolutely awful habit. Before the worst, the biggies like cancer and death, the dead boney finger of smoking can also point to snoring and sleep complications.

Theories say that smoking irritates and inflames the upper airways which can cause that tissue vibration that makes snoring audible. Also, the heaviest smokers can go through nicotine withdrawal at night causing disruptions in sleep and increased levels of snoring.

Quitting smoking can put you on the right track to dealing with your snoring episodes by allowing your mouth to not dry up so much, preventing further lung damage, and giving you a higher chance of enjoying better sleep.

Health Risks Associated With Snoring

Now that many of the causes of snoring have been pinpointed, besides preventing healthy sleep, what else does snoring do to your body?

Severe snorers suffering from sleep apnea face a lot of health risks including a higher risk of stroke due to increased strain on the heart.

Not only is the heart at risk but so is the head. Nightly snorers are more likely to suffer from chronic headaches. This leads to unhealthy sleep which could increase the severity of snoring even more.