Top 5 Reasons Cause Snoring
As we have mentioned that snoring is a sound resulting from turbulent airflow that causes tissues to vibrate during sleep. So what can cause airflow turbulent and cause tissues vibrate ? Here we provide you with the top 5 reasons that cause snoring commonly.
Mouth breathing
We naturally breathe through our noses, but some people cannot breathe through their noses because of obstruction of the nasal passages. This can be caused by a deviation of the nasal septum, allergies, sinus infections, swelling of the turbinates, or large adenoids (tonsils in the back of the throat). However, if you breathe through you mouth, the flow of air through the mouth may causes greater vibration of tissues.
The soft palate
The soft palate is important when breathing，during nasal breathing, the palate moves forward and “opens” the nasal airway for air to pass into the lungs. IF the soft palate too long or floppy, it can vibrate and cause snoring. So the palate often is the structure that vibrate during snoring and surgical treatments for snoring may alter these structures and prevent guttural fricative sounds.
Sleeping Position
When we sleep on the back, gravity acts to pull on all the tissues of the body, but the tissues of the pharynx are relatively soft and floppy. Therefore, when we lie on our backs, gravity pulls the palate, tonsils, and tongue backwards. This often narrows the airway enough to cause turbulence in airflow, tissue vibration, and snoring.
Stage of Sleep
Sleep consists of several stages, but in general they can be divided into REM(rapid eye movement) and non-REM stages. During REM sleep, the brain sends the signal to all the muscles of the body (except the breathing muscles) to relax. Unfortunately, the tongue, palate, and throat can collapse when they relax. This can cause the airway to narrow and worsen snoring.
Medications and Alcohol
Some medications as well as alcohol can lead to enhanced relaxation of muscles during sleep. As the muscles of the palate, tongue, neck, and pharynx relax more, the airway collapses more. This leads to a smaller airway and greater tissue vibration. Some medications encourage a deeper level of sleep, which also can worsen snoring.
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