Snoring: A common sleep disorderSleep consumes as much as one-third or more of
average human’s life. Even if people hope for restful sleep, many types of sleep disorder reduce
quality and quantity of sleep. Snoring is
most common cause of sleep disorder that affects people.
Snoring is divided into two categories: Obstructive sleep apnea and Primary snoring. Obstructive sleep apnea: Loud, excessive snoring, interrupted by breathing stoppages and gasping for breath. Other symptoms include excessive sleepiness in
daytime and obesity. Also, it was found that is more common in male.
Primary Snoring: is very common and is unrelated to apneic episodes. Primary snoring may be an early predictor for people who will eventually develop obstructive sleep apnea. This progression is more likely in people at ages 35-40 and who undergo a weight gain.
Primary snoring is characterized by loud noises that disturb
sleeper or sleep partners and can be caused by different types of problems: anatomic - if
oropharynx is smaller or more narrow than normal, a deviated nasal septum, hypertrophy of
tonsils and/or adenoids, temporary or permanent enlargement of
nasal turbinate (nasal obstruction), mandibular abnormalities, or tongue enlargement and smoking.
Medical consequences: The obstructive sleep apnea should always be checked by a physician. The fact that you won’t receive
proper amount of air will lead in time to serious diseases. Not enough air means poor blood and brain oxygenation. Even primary snoring can signal other morbid conditions. Nocturnal asthma may be a cause of snoring and snoring may be a trigger for nocturnal asthma. The day time tiredness and sleepiness is only a residual effect of snoring. Snoring often coexists with hypertension, heart disease, asthma and brain ischemia.
Smoking - Cigarette smoking has been demonstrated to be
cause of numerous medical problems, including snoring. The cause is
negative effect of smoking on mucociliary clearance reducing
ciliary mobility, increasing
upper airway blockages and allowing mucus to collect. This effect can even occur through exposure to second-hand smoke.