Snoring: A Common Nuisance or a Serious Health Warning?

Preeti Prangya Panda
Jul 1
7 min read

Snoring is something that many people struggle with and often joke about. Besides being irritating, it can sometimes highlight other health risks. Snoring is usual for adult males and elderly people, though it can sometimes point to key issues such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Being a snorer affects the person snoring as well as the people in their bed. We discuss what causes snoring, how it happens, what puts people at risk, and its effects on health, since it is not talked about as much as it should be.

Photo by Kampus Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-lying-on-bed-with-a-man-7556643/

Understanding Snoring: More Than Just a Noisy Night

Snoring is an extremely common condition caused by the vibration of the throat tissue due to air turbulence, due to the partial blockage of the airway as someone sleeps. Although lots of people associate snoring with OSA, it is not the same for everyone [1]. However, people who routinely snore tend to experience more apneic episodes (times when breathing stops while sleeping.

Key Statistics:

35–45% of men and 15–28% of women snore regularly [1].
Snoring increases with age, especially after menopause in women [1].
18–28% of snoring [1] variance is linked to genetics. It's heritable!
Commonly associated with higher BMI, cardiovascular risks, and alcohol/tobacco use [1]..

Anatomy and Airflow: What Causes the Rumble?

Snoring originates in the upper airway, covering the nasal passages, pharynx, and larynx. Since muscles relax more during sleep, these locations are not as strong. Turbulent airflow may result if the nose is narrowed or blocked because of a deviated septum, enlarged tonsils, or a recessed lower jaw (retrognathia), leading to vibrations and therefore sound [2],[3].

Supine Sleeping Worsens It

When a person is sleeping on their back, gravity draws the tongue and soft palate toward the back of the throat, opening the airway less. This causes snoring to be louder and more often, and can also escalate obstructive events during sleep [4].

Snoring Sounds: Not All Are Created Equal

Different types of snoring can give insights into where the blockage is in the airway.

The lower-frequency snoring often heard happens because of vibrations caused by the soft palate and uvula.
The base of the tongue and the sides of the throat near the tongue are responsible for this form of snoring.

Some researchers have used sound analysis to estimate where a blockage in the airways is taking place, without much success, but results are improving. While it may not be trusted enough to replace clinical assessments at this point.

Risk Factors: Who’s at Risk and Why?

Anatomical Issues

Deviated Septum: Reduces the size of one nasal opening, which forces breathing through the mouth [5].
Enlarged Tonsils/Adenoids: Particularly in children, these block the airways [6].
Retrognathia: A recessed jaw leads to less room in the throat and increases the risk of collapse [7].

Physiological Factors

Low muscle strength in the throat (pharynx) and ease with which the airway collapses increase snoring risk.
Difficulty in breathing through the nose and high alertness can be factors [8].

Lifestyle Influences

Obesity can cause extra fat to build near the neck, which presses on the airway [9].
Alcohol causes the throat muscles to relax and makes it easier for the airway to collapse [10].
Airway inflammation and swelling are caused by smoking [11].
Blocked nasal airways make it difficult to breathe through the nose, which increases the volume of vibration [12].
Back-sleeping worsens how gravity squeezes the airway [13].

Having just a few additional kilos per square meter raises the risk of snoring, according to a study, while losing weight cuts down both snoring and the severity of OSA.

Snoring and Your Health: A Wake-Up Call?

The effects of snoring are commonly ignored, but more research shows it can lead to important health issues, regardless of sleep apnea.

1. Snoring and Sleep Apnea: A Spectrum

Even though there are not more than five apneas per hour in primary snoring, this type of snoring can result in poor sleep and tiredness during the day. Written as: There is a 20–40% chance that frequent snorers also suffer from OSA.

If snoring is not treated over time, it can become OSA as aging, more weight and weakened throat muscles take effect. Any combination of loud snoring, tiredness during the day or seen pauses in breathing calls for a medical review.

It is very important to recognize whether a child’s loud breathing is just snoring or OSA, because untreated OSA can lead to challenges with behavior and learning [11].

2. Heart and Blood Vessel Health

When someone habitually and loudly snores, it has been related to:

Greater chance of stroke and heart disease in men.
There can be carotid artery thickening in patients who don’t have severe OSA.
A condition called uncontrolled hypertension, which is separate from apnea.

These results indicate that snoring may warn of or even be linked to cardiovascular disease [14].

3. Cognitive and Emotional Effects

Having chronic snoring problems may interfere with mental performance, but this is often confused by both obesity and OSA being present. But bed partners of snorers typically complain about not sleeping well, experiencing stress, and dealing with difficulties in the relationship [15].

In a single study, CPAP helped reduce snoring, which meant the patient slept better and their partner got an added hour of sleep each night. It clearly shows why getting treatment is so important [16].

What Can Be Done About Snoring?

Treating snoring will vary depending on what causes it. Here are methods you can apply:

Weight loss is a great solution for stopping many cases of snoring.

Avoid drinking any alcohol for about 4–6 Hours before sleeping.
When you quit smoking, over time, this can reduce swelling of the airways in your nose.
Sleeping on your side: Positional therapy is sometimes useful for positional snoring.
Decongestants, steroid sprays, and nasal strips belong to the class of nasal interventions.
Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs): Suitable for problems related to how the jaw is positioned.
A surgical procedure may be advised when there is a blockage in the airway from enlarged tonsils or a deviated septum.
Many with OSA are treated with CPAP Therapy, which can also greatly reduce snoring.

Final Thoughts: Time to Take Snoring Seriously

It’s not only seen as a joke or understood as a social nuisance—often, snoring means something else is going on. If the condition keeps you from getting restful sleep, changes your relationships, or might mean OSA, you should bring it up with a medical professional.

If you or someone close to you snores often and this interferes with your quality of life or is accompanied by fatigue in the day, choking episodes, or gasping during sleep, an evaluation should be arranged. Frequently, making small changes leads to noticeable improvement in sleep and health.

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