Snoring is the sound produced by obstructed breathing during sleep. People who snore have an increased risk of high blood pressure , heart disease , and stroke . More study is needed to determine whether those snorers at risk for more serious problems are people who have actual pauses in breathing while snoring, called sleep apnea .
Snoring results when air cannot move freely through the air passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This causes vibration of the roof of the mouth and uvula (part of the soft palate), which creates the snoring sound. The smaller the airway, the more obstruction, and the louder the snoring. This airway obstruction can be caused by:
A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.
The main symptom of snoring is noisy breathing during sleep.
The following symptoms may indicate that obstructive sleep apnea is causing the snoring:
While sleeping:
While awake:
If your snoring is severe, the doctor will want to make sure you do not have obstructive sleep apnea. Diagnosis may involve:
In cases of snoring without sleep apnea, lifestyle changes may alleviate symptoms. More severe cases may require surgery or devices.
Changes that may help stop snoring include:
During surgery, a laser or scalpel can be used to remove excess tissue that is blocking the airway. This type of surgery is called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Treatment by laser surgery requires a series of surgeries and is usually reserved for severe and disruptive cases of snoring. In case of life threatening obstructive sleep apnea that has failed other treatments, a tracheostomy may need to be done. In this type of surgery, an opening is made in your neck and a small tube is inserted. More studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the surgical approaches.
Devices that can open airways during sleep include:
Modafinil (Provigil) may be used in patients who have some residual sleepiness during the day and are treated with CPAP at night.
RESOURCES:
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery
http://www.entnet.org
National Center on Sleep Disorders Research
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Better Sleep Council Canada
http://www.bettersleep.ca/
The Canadian Lung Association
http://www.lung.ca
References:
American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery website. Available at: http://www.entnet.org/ . Accessed October 7, 2005.
American Medical Association website. Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ . Accessed October 7, 2005.
Beers MH. The Merck Manual of Medical Information . 2nd ed. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories; 2003.
Health Topics: Snoring. Medline Plus website. Available at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/snoring.html . Accessed October 7, 2005.
Lindman JP. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, surgery. eMedicine website. Accessed September 27, 2006.
Mayo Clinic website. Available at: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/obstructive-sleep-apnea/DS00968/DSECTION=1 . Accessed November 9, 2007.
McDonald JP. A review of surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome. Surgeon. 2003;1:259-264. Review.
Obstructive sleep apnea. DynaMed website. Available at: http://dynamed101.ebscohost.com/Detail.aspx?id=115600 .
Sher AE. Upper airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Med Rev. 2002;6:195-212. Review.
Yaggi HK, Concato J, Kernan WN, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea as a risk factor for stroke and death NEJM. 2005;353:2034-2041.
Last reviewed November 2008 by Elie Edmond Rebeiz, MD, FACS
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