If you snore, you’re not alone. While men snore more than women, both sexes are affected. At least 45% of American adults snore at least some of the time, and nearly a quarter snore every night. 

When the person or people you sleep near only mention your snoring occasionally, chances are good that you don’t have a snoring problem. But if you’re a frequent snorer, it could be a sign of a serious health concern. 

The board-certified ear-nose-throat (ENT) providers at Jacksonville ENT Surgery in Jacksonville and Lake City, Florida, specialize in diagnosing the underlying cause of snoring and treating any related health concerns, like sleep apnea.

Keep reading to learn why you might snore, how it affects your health, and the ways we can help you (and the people you sleep near) enjoy more peaceful sleep.

Why people snore

During the day, when you’re sitting or standing, your tongue, soft palate, and uvula stay in the correct positions. As such, the airflow through your mouth and nose remains unobstructed, and your breathing isn’t affected. 

For some people, these soft tissues stay in place when they lie down and their muscles relax as they fall asleep. This means their breathing stays unobstructed throughout the night, and they don’t snore.

For other people, these soft tissues collapse when they sleep. This causes the air passages to become partially obstructed, impeding the flow of air. When this happens, the soft tissues can vibrate as air moves in and out, causing the sound of snoring.

This soft tissue collapse can happen for many reasons, including:

• Being overweight or obese
• Congestion from allergies or viral infections
• Having a larger-than-normal tongue
• Taking antihistamines
• Drinking alcohol
• Taking sleeping medications
• Irregular facial bone structure
• Swelling of adenoids or tonsils
• Chronic sinusitis
• Nasal polyps
• Deviated septum
• Collapsed nasal valve
• Enlarged turbinate
• Mouth injury or infection (swollen tissues)
• Having sleep apnea

Since there are so many possible causes of snoring, it’s important to schedule an exam with an ENT who specializes in snoring for a diagnostic assessment if you’re concerned about your snoring. 

How snoring affects your health

Not all snoring negatively affects your health. It’s possible to snore but still take in enough air that you maintain normal respiratory rates throughout the night. In these cases, snoring isn’t harmful to your health. 

However, chronic or especially noisy snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. This develops when your breathing is blocked entirely by the collapsed soft tissues. Your brain senses this interruption in breathing and sends a signal to wake up a little so you start breathing again. 

Although you might not wake up enough to remember the interruption to your sleep, your body keeps the score. The chronic interruption of your sleep negatively affects your health, including increasing your risk of developing serious health complications, such as:

• Hypertension
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart attacks
• Shortened lifespan 

Not only are you not getting the right amount of oxygen necessary for optimal functioning, but the lack of good sleep creates daytime sleepiness, fatigue, problems with concentration, and even mental health issues. 

Ways to stop snoring in its tracks

At Jacksonville ENT Surgery, our team knows the best way to stop snoring in its tracks depends on the reasons you snore and whether there’s an underlying health issue at play. Our providers assess your overall health and the causes of your snoring to create a personalized snoring treatment plan.

Your customized snoring plan may include lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, or over-the-counter therapies, like using a decongestant or nasal steroid spray. Other therapies we may recommend include:

• Antibiotics or immunotherapy
• Surgical removal of polyps
• Surgical repair of a deviated septum
• Nonsurgical VivAer® for faulty nasal valves or enlarged nasal tissues 

If your provider determines you have sleep apnea, they may recommend specific sleep apnea therapies, such as an oral device, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy machine, or, in extreme cases, surgery for sleep apnea.

Interested in learning more about how snoring may affect your health? Get started by scheduling a consultation online or over the phone at the Jacksonville ENT Surgery office nearest you.