Snoring is an inspiratory airflow limitation and occurs in approximately 32% – 48% of adults and reports are highly variable due to self-reported frequency and duration. Snoring generally may not affect the snorer but people who snore are at greater risk of vascular disease. Often snoring causes great tension within relationships due to fragmented sleep of the suffering bed partner. Snoring may become a problem based on the severity (frequency, volume and duration). It also causes great embarrassment and patients often recall being awoken by their own gasps or noise and may relate symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Snoring can often occur without apnoea (known as primary snoring) although this can only be confirmed by diagnosis with a sleep study.
Airways and snoring
What makes us snore?
Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely in and out of your throat due to a narrowing of the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. While asleep, muscle tone decreases throughout the body causing our muscles to relax. The soft palate and uvula (the fleshy structure in the middle of the palate, often seen upon opening the mouth wide) vibrates as we breathe. Snoring often worsens with alcohol, sedatives, weight gain, age, pregnancy and/or hormones or even a blocked nose.
Are snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) related?
While snoring is caused by a partial obstruction of the airway, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a complete closure of the airway during sleep. OSA results in repeated episodes of stopping breathing (apnoea) during which time your body continues to make efforts to breathe, adding tension to the circulatory system and oxygenation of the brain.
Often, snoring can develop into OSA and studies have shown a correlation between the vibratory noise of snoring and hardening of the carotid artery.
Persistent, loud and continuous snoring is commonly a symptom of OSA and is often a cardinal sign of something much worse than just noise; it is a classic symptom of OSA syndrome. The absence of snoring does not exclude the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea. Careful medical attention is required to ensure OSA is properly diagnosed by a sleep and respiratory physician and treated.
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