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If you snore,
it's likely you're familiar with nightly jabs in the ribs, grumbling
from your bed partner, and maybe even separate bedrooms. Snoring
occurs in all age groups, in both genders, and is heard literally,
all over the world. It's something you may have in common with
people everywhere. Anthony Burgess noted, "Laugh and the world
laughs with you; snore and you sleep alone." Snoring may be a
common problem, but it is also a medical condition that should
not be ignored. Although snoring occurs in both genders, it is
almost twice as common in men compared to women.
The likelihood of developing a snoring condition also increases
with age. Approximately 30% of American males snore at age 30,
and around 40% of all Americans snore by age 50. Some people snore
all night, every night, while others only snore when they first
fall asleep or when they sleep on their back. Some people only
snore when they take certain medications, or when they have a
cold. But no matter why someone snores... or when... someone else
is probably going to be bothered by it.
Typically, people do not hear themselves snoring. But snoring
noise disrupts the sleep of the people who have to hear it. So
snoring often puts a strain on family or social relationships,
and is a frequent source of embarrassment.
What is Snoring?
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Snoring
is a breathing noise that occurs while someone is sleeping.
It usually happens when the person is breathing in (inhaling)
rather then breathing out (exhaling).
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The
source of the noise is a vibration of the tissues in the throat.
The noise is typically produced by the soft palate, the uvula,
or both vibrating against the back of the throat or the base
of the tongue. This vibration is a rapid alternating opening
and closing of the air passage which make it more difficult
to inhale. So snoring is clear evidence that the breathing
passage is intermittently blocked. Some snoring is extremely
load, while some is as soft as a whisper. The loudness and
the tone of the noise is affected by how much air is going
through the breathing passage and how fast the throat tissue
is vibrating.
Simply
Snoring or Something More?
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Snoring
is not an illness, but it is a medical symptom, just as a
cough can be a symptom of tuberculosis or the flue. Medical
illness produce symptoms, and any given symptom may be due
to a variety of illnesses. Snoring can be associated with
a more serious medical condition called obstructive sleep
apnea. Sometimes, as snorers get into deeper stages of sleep,
their airway becomes so completely obstructed that they stop
breathing (apnea). In order to begin breathing again, they
have to return to a lighter stage of sleep. Because these
snorers are not getting deep restful sleep, they have excessive
daytime fatigue.
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