DID YOU KNOW....
Snoring is the most common ailment occurring during sleep. Studies have shown that as many as 70% of men and 40% of women snore!
- When you sleep, the muscles of the soft palate relax and the tongue eases itself into the back of the throat. The air passage coming through the throat becomes much narrower. The mouth opens, the soft palate and uvula start to vibrate and produce the acoustic effect of snoring.
- The most common causes of snoring are long and too relaxed soft palate, long uvula, bulky walls of the oropharynx , palatine arches and base of the tongue. It is also caused by enlarged palatine and pharyngeal tonsils. Other causes include nasal congestion due to the nasal septum deviation, turbinate hypertrophy or the presence of nasal polyps.
- Treatment is vital, as snoring may indicate developing or present sleep apnoea.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is the complete closure of the throat during sleep that leads to breathing interruptions.
- Respiratory interruptions can take several seconds and occur repeatedly during the night. A patient with sleep apnoea is often significantly oxygen-deprived.