Causes of Snoring

How does snoring arise?

Most of the time, snoring results from an obstruction to breathing through the nose.

The noise when you breathe in occurs only when you are sleeping and not when you are awake, as the entire musculature relaxes during sleep. This loosens the muscles in the mouth, throat and pharynx, which means that on the one hand the soft palate is slacker and flutters more than usual, which makes it easier for the airways to be obstructed, and on the other hand, the lower jaw as a result of the slack cheek muscles sinks below. As a result, at night you tend to breathe through your mouth, which in combination with the slack muscles results in snoring.

Some people only snore in a certain position, usually lying on their back, as the lower jaw is least supported in this position and the mouth is most likely to be open.

There are people who snore every night, and there are those who sleep normally but then turn into snores in certain situations.

Which factors cause snoring?

Snoring can be promoted or triggered by a wide variety of factors. Some of them are

Sleep apnea
Runny nose, also allergic runny nose
Inflammation of the sinuses (sinusitis)
Curvature of the nasal septum
A long, deep, slack palate or a wide uvula
Nasal polyps
Enlarged tonsils
Shortened lower jaw
Obesity
Alcohol consumption
Nicotine consumption
Certain medications
Increasing age

At this point, read our article on snoring during pregnancy and find out what effects snoring could have on your child. Learn more at: Snoring During Pregnancy

Sleep apnea related to snoring

Sleep apnea is a condition that is estimated to affect two to four percent of adults. Those affected suffer breathing pauses in their sleep.

The likelihood of developing sleep apnea syndrome increases with age and mostly affects men.

Sleep apnea is very closely associated with snoring. Snoring can be particularly loud and occasionally reaches a volume of almost 90 decibels, which corresponds to the noise level of a jackhammer.

The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, in which the muscles of the soft palate fall back and narrow the airways.

Do you suffer from sleep apnea syndrome? Learn about the Therapy options.

Snoring caused by a cold

When you have a cold, the nasal mucous membranes are inflamed, usually as part of a cold. A runny nose can also be caused by allergies.
A cold of any cause disrupts nasal breathing enormously. People breathe primarily through their mouths, which often leads to snoring while sleeping. Narrowed airways, like with a cold, increase the speed of the air you breathe.
This effect and the obstructed nasal breathing are particularly beneficial for snoring.

Sinus infection as a cause of snoring

Another possible cause of snoring is infection of the sinuses (sinusitis). Here the mucous membranes of the paranasal sinuses are inflamed.
Sinusitis can be acute bacterial or viral, chronic and allergy-associated. A curvature of the nasal septum makes sinusitis much easier. Since sinus infections make nasal breathing much more difficult, those affected breathe mainly through the mouth.
Mouth breathing and any anatomical changes that may be present, such as a curvature of the nasal septum, promote snoring enormously.

Snoring due to a curvature of the nasal septum

A bend of the nasal septum is one of the most common malformations in the nose area. In the case of a curvature of the nasal septum, the septum, the nasal septum, is not in the middle, but rather curved.

This can have various causes, for example an injury with subsequent kinking during healing or a growth disorder of the tissue.

The curvature of the nasal septum leads to a significant impediment to nasal breathing. At the same time, the occurrence of colds and sinus infections is favored. The obstructed nasal breathing and the consequences of the curvature of the nasal septum often cause occasional or permanent snoring in those affected.

Nasal polyps associated with snoring

Nasal polyps are benign growths on the tissue of the nasal mucous membranes. They occur in adults and arise in the paranasal sinuses, from where they grow into the main nasal cavity. Nasal polyps become problematic when they grow to a certain size where they obstruct nasal breathing. This can cause snoring and trouble sleeping. If nasal breathing is no longer possible, we automatically switch to poorer mouth breathing. Mouth breathing while sleeping is closely related to snoring.

Shortened lower jaw causes snoring

If the lower jaw is shortened, this narrows the airways and as a result of the narrowed airways the flow speed of the inhaled air increases. A narrowing of the airways promotes snoring in particular. It encourages the slack muscles in the throat to vibrate, which causes the typical snoring noises.
A shortened lower jaw is, so to speak, an anatomical predisposition for snoring.

Can being overweight cause snoring?

Greater weight gain is noticeable early on in the form of a double chin at the transition from neck to head. The fat content of the subcutaneous fat also increases. This means that not only does the fat look greasy on the outside, but it also pushes in and can narrow the airways. As a result, being overweight makes snoring more likely.

This is why alcohol can cause snoring

In fact, there is a connection between evening alcohol consumption and snoring.
Alcohol has a relaxing effect on the muscles and during sleep the muscles are more relaxed as a result of the evening alcohol consumption. This affects numerous muscles, including muscles in the area of the base of the tongue, the lower jaw and the soft palate.
When these muscles relax a lot, they can fall back, narrowing and obstructing the airway. That eventually leads to snoring. When you inhale and exhale through your mouth, the air you breathe is forced through a now much narrower opening and the surrounding tissue is made to vibrate. We hear these fluttering, vibrating movements in the sleeper as snoring.

These drugs can trigger snoring

In fact, there are a number of medications that can cause a runny nose as a side effect and encourage snoring.
This includes

Antihypertensive drugs such as beta blockers or ACE inhibitors
Antihistamines as allergy drugs
Antidepressants
Pain relievers such as ibuprofen
Birth control pills
PDE-5 inhibitor (Viagra) for impotence
Nasal spray or nasal drops can also cause a runny nose as a side effect. Therefore, they should only be used for a short time.

Should the medication taken lead to colds and snoring, you can communicate this with your family doctor and possibly find a suitable alternative.

If you are already familiar with the causes, then read our next article: How can you prevent snoring?

Snoring in old age

With its accompanying symptoms, increasing age can greatly encourage the occurrence of snoring.

With age, the tissue becomes softer and can accordingly collapse more easily. This affects, among other things, the muscles of the soft palate, the uvula and the other throat muscles.

In addition, hormonal changes occur during and after the menopause in women.

Over time, most older people develop increasingly orthopedic problems, so older people sleep on their backs more often. A supine position encourages the tongue to fall back into the throat. In fact, with age, the tongue often gets bigger and narrows the upper airways.

In addition, we gain weight significantly with age and, among other things, subcutaneous fatty tissue accumulates in the neck area.

In addition, older people often take a lot of medication, which can also lead to runny nose and snoring as side effects.