We naturally want to breathe through our noses, some people cannot breathe through their noses because of chronic nasal congestion. This can be caused bythe following reasons :

Chronic Nasal Congestion Causes:

• Common cold or influenza
• Allergic reaction
• Hay fever, allergic reaction to pollen or grass
• Deviated septum
• Sinusitis or sinus infection
• Reaction to medication (e.g. Flomax)
• Many women suffer from nasal congestion during pregnancy due to the increased amount of blood flowing through the body.
• If the body is in a position where a lot of blood enters the head (e.g. upside down), the blood vessels in the nasal passage may inflame.

When your nasal congestion forces breathing through mouth during sleep, greater negative pressure is developed behind the uvula and soft palate. The negative pressure increases the vibration of uvula and soft palate during sleep and leading to snoring.

Nocturnal nasal congestion is a strong independent risk factor for habitual snoring, including snoring without frank sleep apnea.