Learn about the causes of Snoring & find a practitioner in Auckland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin to help you overcome Snoring within New Zealand.
Snoring is caused by vibrations in the tissue of the mouth, nose and throat when breathing whilst asleep. Snoring can be due to sleeping position, excess tissue or a health condition. Snoring is rarely a serious condition but can lead to sleep apnea whereby breathing temporarily stops causing people to wake up. People who are overweight can snore excessively due to fatty deposits around the neck and throat.
When asleep, the mouth, nose and throat muscles relax making them more
likely to vibrate when breating. Snoring is actually the palate of the
mouth and other surrounding tissue of the nose and throat vibrating
because air isn't flowing properly through the air passages.
Factors that disrupt airflow through the passages include:
Being overweight –
fat deposits around the neck and throat can lead to the surrounding
tissue sagging and preventing air from flowing smoothly. Men are more
prone to this problem as they store more fat around the neck.
Alcohol – drinking alcohol relaxes the muscles so tissue in the mouth, throat and nose is more likely to disrupt air flow.
Sleeping on your back
– by laying on your back while asleep, the tongue falls back toward the
throat narrowing the airway and preventing smooth airflow.
Age – throat muscles weaken with age making them more susceptible to vibration while asleep.
Colds and allergies
– a blocked nasal passage from a cold or allergic reaction makes
breathing difficult through the nose encouraging the mouth to take in
air instead. The mouth contains more tissue that easily vibrates
resulting in snoring.
Smoking – smoking can irritate the airways causing inflammation and blocking airflow.
Other factors which can cause snoring include:
*Source: GoToSee.co.uk