Do you keep your bed partner up at night because you snore like a bear in hibernation? On the flip side, does your bed partner keep you up at night? Clearly, snoring can cause problems in a relationship. We all need our sleep!
Before we discuss snoring treatments, let’s talk about what’s going on.
What causes snoring?
When you snore, your throat essentially becomes a wind instrument where vibrating tissue creates a loud sound. The vibration is due to an obstruction that restricts the flow of air in the throat.
The blockage can be caused by a number of things. These include anatomical factors, medical conditions, diet, and certain medications.
The following factors can cause or exacerbate snoring:
- Thick throat tissue
- Obesity
- Swollen tonsils and adenoids
- Alcohol use
- Poor muscle tone in the throat and tongue
- Long uvula or soft palate
- Nasal congestion caused by a cold or allergies
- A deviated septum
Your snoring may be related to sleep apnea
Sleep apnea and snoring often go together. Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated, short lapses in breathing throughout the night. People with sleep apnea might also gasp loudly in their sleep as they struggle to breathe.
As you can imagine, when the brain and organs don’t get the oxygen they need, it can severely impact a person’s health.
Failure to get consistent healthy sleep contributes to a multitude of health problems. These include heart disease, obesity, depression, anxiety, and diabetes. While the person with the sleep condition is at risk of health problems, their bed partner can experience health issues because they miss out on restorative sleep as well.
At Houston Sleep Solutions, we treat snoring AND sleep apnea
While many people have heard of sleep apnea (and everyone knows what snoring is), some people don’t know that dentists who practice sleep medicine can treat both sleep disorders with Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT).
If you suspect that you suffer from either snoring or sleep apnea, we invite you to book an appointment today. We look forward to helping you get on the path to better sleep and better health.
Contact Houston Sleep Solutions:
281-485-4829
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
1769 S. Friendswood Dr. Ste 107
Friendswood, Texas
77546
