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Snoring is the result of the partial blockage of a person’s airways.
This blockage is caused by the relaxation of the collapsible tissues
found in the person’s throat, uvula, palate, and tongue. When air passes
through the narrowed area, the tissues vibrate against one another and
thus create the sounds we all know as snoring.
The airway is similar to a hollow tube and runs all the way to the lungs
from the person’s nose and mouth by way of the throat. A scientific
principle, known as Bernoulli’s principle, states that an increase in
airflow into any narrow point of a hollow tube causes pressure to drop
at that particular area. When this occurs, throat tissues are pulled
inward to the airway, making it narrower. This adds to the vibrations
which contribute to snoring.
Basically, these are the three factors which cause snoring – narrowed
airways, floppy tissue walls, and air flow. Typically, the narrower the
airway is, the louder the snoring is heard. Most snoring treatments are
targeted to address any of these concerns. There are snoring treatments
used to increase the airway’s diameter and the stiffness of its walls
and there are also treatments done to reduce the force of air going in.
What a lot of people don’t know is that snoring can actually occur
anywhere there is a narrowing in the airway. For those who have snoring
problems, it is best if you get proper medical advice by getting a sleep
study and evaluation to check where snoring occurs. This is very
important so that a proper course of treatment can be prescribed for
you.
Profiles of people who are most likely to snore are those who have a
narrowed airway, are overweight, have chronic allergies, have large
tonsils and enlarged uvula, have nasal obstructions, have
hypothyroidism, are overweight, and those who take sedatives and take
alcohol before going to bed. Although most people snore at night, there
are people who snore at anytime of the day and at any position.
Snoring highly differs from one individual to the other. There are
people who snore right after the fall asleep and there are those who
snore while dreaming. Contrary to what a lot of people think, snoring
can actually occur both in exhalation and inhalation. But this can also
change according to the area where narrowing is experienced. Snoring
also happens in instances where a person breathes from his nose only as
well as when he breathes through his mouth and nose combined.
Several experiments have been conducted in the laboratory to measure the
loudness of snoring. These studies show that snoring sounds can go as
loud as a passing jet plane which is known to have a loudness of a
hundred decibels.
Snoring is not limited to a certain gender group as it is observed in
both the male and female population. Even children and young adults
aren’t exempt from this condition. It can also be said that people who
snore do not get the right kind of sleep which can cause them to be
tired the following day.
Because a lot of people suffer from snoring, they do not feel that their
condition is dangerous to their health. In truth though, snoring can
lead to obstructive sleep apnea which is very dangerous if left
untreated. |
