While it may not be an obvious problem for the sleeper, snoring is often very disturbing for a sleep partner. This situation can be caused due to many reasons.

Primarily, snoring can be caused due to the obstruction in the airway of a patient while he or she is asleep. During sleep, a person’s jaw often goes into a relaxed mode, making it to drop back and as a result, closing off the throat.

However, there is a typical profile of an individual that is more prone to snoring than other types of people. Specifically, people who are overweight can be more prone to snoring than others. As a result of the excess weight, the neck area will tend to close off the air space when he or she falls asleep. Since not much is needed to close off that air space, snoring occurs and that in turn can lead to more serious issues like sleep apnea and interrupted sleep.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleeping disturbance where a patient is unable to attain sleep as a result of an interruption caused due to the closing of his or her airway. This obstruction is basically caused when the tongue drops back and closes off the airway. Large tonsils and weight gain can also cause the airway to be obstructed, making it difficult for the throat to stay open.

A patient who suffers from sleep apnea is significantly prone to heart disease, sudden death and a number of other serious conditions. This is because the blockage of their airway hampers the intake of oxygen to the body to profuse the heart and the brain sufficiently.

Back to dental hygiene home page