Has your snoring led to sleepless nights or tense mornings? Is your spouse tired of hearing you “sawing logs” night after night? Is someone in your home sleeping on the couch or another bedroom?
Television shows and movies have long made snoring and “chainsaws” the subject of comedy. For those of us who suffer, however, snoring isn’t funny. It can be a real detriment to happiness and wedded bliss.
If you want to stop snoring and save your marriage, contact Dr. Mark Weiser.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring occurs when the body relaxes. As we breathe in and out, air is impeded by the normal tissue in our throats. These tissues, including the soft palate, the uvula, the adenoids and tonsils, and even excess fat, can stand in the way of getting the oxygen our bodies need. The loud vibrations our bodies make as we snore are just the start of the problems snoring can cause.
It isn’t just a reminder that we are getting “more mature”, snoring is also our body struggling for air. It may lead to decreased sleep quality for the snorer, as their bodies work harder to avoid a form of suffocation. We have already discussed the reduced quality of rest that the spouse and family of the snorer may experience.
What Conditions Can Make The Tissues Of The Throat Narrow And Cause You To Snore?
Whatever makes our bodies relax can lead to snoring. As our bodies relax, the problem can increase. For this reason, any medicines that cause drowsiness can make snoring more intense. Alcohol can also lead to increased snoring.
Other, physiological, factors can make us snore. Inflamed or enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids can block your airway and impede your breathing. Excess body weight is often also on the list of suspects, as the fatty tissue in the throat may crowd your trachea.
Other factors can also cause snoring. If you suffer from asthma, allergies, or a common cold, you may have increased snoring. If you smoke, you may also be contributing to the problem. All of these things may cause irritation, constriction, or blockage of the air passages.
Lastly, the root cause of the snoring problem is frequently a neuromuscularly imbalanced temporomandibular joint or (TMJ). If the TMJ has become unbalanced in a neuromuscularly position, the throat may collapse, and also allow the tongue to slip back.
Snoring As A Symptom Of A More Complex Problem
Most people can experience and tolerate the occasional night of snoring. If you are a chronic snorer, you may have a much more serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). When a person has obstructive sleep apnea, they literally stop breathing for up to 30 seconds. Some sufferers may struggle for up to a minute! And those who have sleep apnea can experience this situation hundreds of times in a night.
Try this as an experiment. Blow out all the air from your lungs and see how long to can wait before you take another breath. It becomes uncomfortable after a very short while. This is similar to what sufferers of sleep apnea go through many times a night. They may wake up still feeling tired, or have memory and mood problems. Due to the shortage of oxygen, they could be at risk for other serious conditions including heart attacks or depression.
It’s Time To Stop Snoring
If you snore and you live in the Santa Barbara areas, don’t delay another day. Contact Dr. Mark T. Weiser today at (805) 899-3600. Dr. Weiser also treats snoring patients from the surrounding areas including San Luis Obispo and Ventura.