Many people think that snoring means sleeping soundly. In fact, from a medical point of view, snoring is a kind of disease, and it may even induce sudden death.
Why do some people snore while sleeping?
Snoring refers to the sound of airflow hitting the narrow airway when a person is sleeping. There are many reasons for this phenomenon.
(1) Obesity: It has been found clinically that obese people are more likely to snore. This is because obese people have more body fat, which can cause the airways to collapse during sleep, possibly leaving only a small gap that makes a sound when air passes through.
(2) Tonsil hypertrophy: The tonsil is located at the junction of the digestive tract and the respiratory tract, and is a part of the pharyngeal lymphoid tissue, which has the functions of antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and immune regulation. When suffering from bacterial, viral infection, or an allergic reaction, the tonsils become hypertrophic, blocking the airway and bronchi, causing the patient to breathe poorly. Especially when sleeping, due to the influence of gravity, the airway obstruction phenomenon is more obvious, causing the patient to snore.
(3) Causes of the nose: Deviated nasal septum is a common disease in otolaryngology. It is caused by the uneven development of the bones that make up the nasal septum, which can lead to symptoms such as nasal congestion, headache, and epistaxis. important reason. In addition, there are allergic rhinitis, hyperemia and hypertrophy of nasal mucosa, nasal polyps, sinusitis and so on.
(4) Excessive fatigue: If there are overtime work, staying up late, overwork, etc., the body will unconsciously open its mouth to breathe in order to obtain more oxygen during sleep, resulting in increased soft tissue vibration and snoring. But this is a physiological snoring, which usually does not cause damage to the body and can disappear as long as the lifestyle is changed.
(5) Smoking and drinking: Drinking alcohol can relax the muscles of the throat after falling asleep, causing airway obstruction, inducing or aggravating snoring; harmful substances such as carbon monoxide and tar in tobacco can damage the mucous membrane of the throat, causing problems in the nasal cavity or bronchi, increasing Big snoring risk.
(6) Pregnancy: Many women have no symptoms of snoring before pregnancy, but they appear after pregnancy. This is mainly due to nasal edema during pregnancy, weight gain, diaphragm elevation, and decreased lung ventilation function. .
(7) Poor sleeping posture: Some patients have loose soft palate, oropharynx and other muscles. If they choose to sleep in a supine position, the soft palate and the bottom of the tongue will fall into the throat and block the airway, making the breathing pattern abnormal.
(8) Narrow airway caused by short mandible or underdeveloped mandible can cause snoring.
(9) Central nervous system lesions can sometimes cause snoring.
In addition, snoring is also related to factors such as increasing age, congenital anatomical deformities, and family inheritance. With the deepening of research, some experts pointed out that people with high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases also have a higher incidence of snoring.
Harm of
snoring According to research data, on average, more than one out of every four people who snore suffers from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which will cause many adverse effects on health.
(1) Effects on facial features: 60% of children’s skull development is completed at the age of 4, and 90% is completed at the age of 11. If the child has long-term snoring, it will affect the development of facial jaws and occlusal teeth, which will lead to “adenoid face”, manifested as uneven teeth, protruding upper incisors, thick lips, and high palate arch etc. Abnormal facial features may affect children’s physical and mental development, making it difficult for them to socialize and choose a mate.
(2) The impact on the cardiovascular system: when snoring, there will be apnea phenomenon, and the body will lack oxygen, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure saturation and an increase in blood pressure. Some long-term snoring patients may also cause coronary artery stenosis or occlusion, which may lead to arrhythmia and heart failure.
(3) Effects on the endocrine system: Women who snore for a long time have poor Qi and blood flow, decreased blood oxygen transport capacity, and may experience endocrine disorders such as irregular menstruation and dysmenorrhea. In severe cases, menopause may be advanced by 3 to 5 years. Studies have also shown that people who often snore will have glucose metabolism disorders, and people with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome have a risk of developing type 2 diabetes that is 2 to 4 times higher than ordinary people.
(4) Impact on sleep quality: The occurrence of apnea will cause people to wake up frequently, resulting in fragmented sleep time, making it difficult to enter a deep sleep state and affecting the state of the day.
(5) Suffocation and suffocation: people who often snore have narrow airways and need to open their mouths to breathe to improve this situation. When the mouth is closed, there will be a phenomenon of suffocation, which will cause sudden death if it lasts for a certain period of time.
How to improve
snoring What should I do if my snoring is serious? The following methods can be improved for your reference.
(1) Adjust sleeping position: When sleeping, try not to lie on your back, but choose a side-lying position to avoid tongue falling behind, reduce airway obstruction, and relieve snoring symptoms to a certain extent. You can also use two pillows to elevate your head to assist nasal breathing; if this is uncomfortable, elevate your upper body.
(2) Weight loss: Obesity is an important cause of snoring. Obese people should strive to lose weight through scientific diet and active exercise to reduce the accumulation of fat in the throat.
(3) Change bad living habits: If you have bad habits such as smoking and drinking, you should quit as soon as possible. Usually pay attention to rest and avoid overwork; keep a light diet and eat less greasy, spicy and irritating food.
(4) Room management: In daily life, the room should be clean and ventilated regularly; the pillowcase should be changed frequently, preferably with a new one every six months; when the weather is dry, a humidifier can be placed to keep the respiratory tract moist.
(5) Nasal irrigation: patients can rinse their face and nasal cavity with cold water in the morning or before going to bed, or use a special nasal irrigator to keep the nasal cavity clean and breathe more smoothly.
(6) Oral appliance treatment: The principle of this instrument is to mechanically stretch the nasal cavity, pull the dentition forward, and enlarge the cavity of the pharynx to make the airway stable and unobstructed. It is more suitable for mild Patients with moderate snoring.
(7) Drug treatment: For snoring caused by nasal and pharyngeal causes such as acute and chronic rhinitis, pharyngitis, and nasal mucosal inflammation, Chinese and Western medicine such as rhinitis tablets and sprays can be used for treatment.
(8) Surgical treatment: It is necessary to choose the appropriate surgery according to the lesion where the patient has snoring. If it is tonsil hypertrophy, tonsillectomy is recommended; for rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal septum deviation, etc., nasal endoscopic surgery can be performed; if snoring is caused by throat obstruction, palatal pharyngoplasty can be done; For patients with mandibular retraction, orthognathic surgery can be used to move the mandible and chin forward to open the airway and improve snoring.
(9) Wearing a ventilator: For patients with central and peripheral sleep apnea syndrome, wearing a ventilator is the preferred treatment method. It is necessary to buckle the special nasal mask on the nose before the patient goes to bed, and start the continuous pressurized ventilation mode. The instrument will maintain a certain gas pressure in the upper airway, overcome the narrow part of the airway, keep the patient’s airway unobstructed, and eliminate the impact of snoring on sleep.
Through the introduction of this article, I believe that everyone has an understanding of the dangers of snoring and can actively take measures to deal with it.
