Learn About Snoring

Snoring is frequently caused by a blockage of the airways towards the back of the mouth and upper throat. This obstruction causes increased air turbulence when breathing, which in turn compels the soft tissues in your throat to vibrate. The end result is a noisy, disruptive sound enough to give whoever’s sleeping in the next room a restless night.

While snoring is frequently caused by this narrowing of the airways from the soft palate, tongue, and throat relaxing, it can also be brought forward by allergies or sinus problems as well as being overweight and the unfortunate genetic gift of having extra soft tissue around your upper airways.

The larger the tissues in your soft palate, the more likely you are to snore while sleeping. Alcohol or sedatives taken shortly before sleep also promote snoring. These drugs cause greater relaxation of the tissues in your throat and mouth. Surveys reveal that about one-half of all adults snore, and 50 percent of these adults do so loudly and frequently. African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics are more likely to snore loudly and frequently compared to Caucasians, and snoring problems increase with age.