Snoring - By: Patricia Woloch

Snoring is a pretty common sleeping habit that millions of Americans (and their partners) deal with on a nightly basis. Chances are, you or someone you know makes these low, grunting noises during sleep. While most cases of snoring are nothing more than a little harmless noise, for some, snoring may be a symptom of a more serious problem called sleep apnea.

What causes snoring?

Snoring is a sign that there is some sort of breathing obstruction in the throat. The soft tissues collapse to cause the sound you hear. For some snorers, it is just a nighttime habit with no real danger. But, if the airway is obstructed for more than a few seconds, your health could be in danger.

How do you spot a problem?

Unusually loud snoring, frequent snoring, or snoring interrupted by gasping or choking could signal a problem. It can’t hurt to find out why you snore the way you do and discover what is causing the airway to become blocked. Even if you find out that your breathing is normal and the snoring habit does not indicate a medical issue, you may still want to seek treatment to reduce or eliminate the snoring.

If snoring is accompanied by any of these symptoms of sleep apnea, you should see a sleep apnea professional:

• insomnia
• fatigue
• high blood pressure
• daytime drowsiness
• heart abnormalities
• restlessness
• headaches
• choking or gasping during sleep
• night sweats
• dry mouth
• sore throat
• congestion

An in-depth sleep study can help your sleep apnea doctor and you pinpoint the problem and create a treatment plan.

Is there a cure?

For many snorers, the nighttime noise has an anatomical cause and is just a harmless sleeping habit. But for those with snoring habits that are actually indications of sleep apnea, it may be time to see a sleep apnea dentist. Since there are so many causes of sleep apnea, it is hard to say if and when a treatment might stop the snoring. But with all of the technology available, countless snorers and sleep apnea sufferers have found relief through behavioral and lifestyle changes, sleeping routine changes, medication and breathing devices.

What should you do?

Since many sleep apnea sufferers have no idea that they are exhibiting symptoms like snoring or gasping at night, in many cases it is the family members or spouses who first notice the problem.

About the Author

If you are a snorer and want to find out what’s causing it and how it can be treated, please contact Colonial Dental Group in Chicago, Illinois today to make an appointment with a sleep apnea/snoring dentist.

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