by Eman Al Arab

One day I heard a doctor on television advising a snorer’s mother to sew a sock that holds a tennis ball on her son’s pajama back to force him to sleep on his side because snoring is often worse when a person sleeps on his back.

At that moment I was thinking, “Is snoring as serious as any other disorder which needs seeing a doctor?” I did some research and in this article I am going to write about snoring: its definition, causes, how serious it is, a social view of snoring, its treatments and a short interview with a snorer and his roommate.

Definition

Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement when breathing while sleeping. The sound may be soft or loud and unpleasant. The structures are usually the uvula and soft palate. The uvula is a small fleshy structure hanging from the center of the soft palate, which is the back, muscular (not bony) part of the roof of the mouth.

Causes of snoring

Forty-five percent of normal adults snore at least occasionally, and 25 percent are habitual snorers. Problem snoring is more frequent in males and overweight persons, and it usually grows worse with age.

It is mainly caused by irregular airflow, caused by blockage due to these or other causes:

1. Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep.
2. Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in muscles.
3. Fat gathering in and around the throat.
4. Obstruction in the nasal passageway.

Is snoring serious?

Snoring is serious; it disturbs the sleeping patterns of the snorer himself, so that he may not sleep restfully. Furthermore, heavy snorers tend to develop high blood pressure at a younger age than non-snorers. The most exaggerated from of snoring is known as sleep apnea, when loud snoring is interrupted by frequent episodes of totally obstructed breathing. Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening condition that is far more common than generally understood. It occurs in all age groups and both sexes but is more common in men.

Social view of Snoring

Snoring is disruptive to family life. It makes the snorer an object of ridicule and causes other household members sleepless nights and resentfulness. Snorers become unwelcome rooommates on vacations or business trips!

Treatments

Almost all treatments for snoring revolve around clearing the blockage in the breathing passage.

1. Adopt an athletic life-style and exercise daily to develop good muscle tone and lose weight (to stop fat from pressing on the throat.)
2. Avoid sleeping pills and antihistamines before bedtime.
3. Avoid alcoholic beverages within three hours of retiring.
4. Avoid heavy meals within three hours of retiring.
5. Avoid getting overtired.
6. Sleep sideways rather than on the back (to prevent the tongue from blocking the throat).
7. Stop smoking. Smoking weakens and clogs the throat.
8. ALLOW NONSNORERS TO SLEEP FIRST.

In some heavy cases snorers should have surgical repair, like widening the airway by removing tissues in the back of the throat, including the uvula and the pharynx.

Short interview with a snorer and his roommate

I have got twin brothers, one of whom is a snorer. They sleep together in one room.

I asked the snorer this question, “How do you feel when you snore? And do you consider it as a problem?” He replied, “ I can’t feel comfortable during sleep without snoring. It makes me relax and I don’t think it’s a problem. Actually I like to snore.” (Note: He is scared of surgery. My parents suggest taking him to a doctor, but he always refuses.)

My question for his twin was, “ Are you disturbed by his snoring while sleeping?” He replied, “ If I fall asleep before him I don’t mind, but if he falls asleep first I suffer till I fall asleep. Well, I must endure that. He’s my brother.”

Snoring is serious and dangerous. It can obstruct breathing, so it’s not funny and it is something that cannot be stopped at will; it is something that can’t be ‘cured’. It can, however, be successfully controlled. So a snorer must see a qualified ENT surgeon (specialist in diseases of the ear, nose and throat) and/or a neurologist who specializes in sleep diseases (very few exist).