Arguing about snoring is an everyday occurrence for many couples. However, that snoring may be the precursor to a severe problem. Talking to your significant other will give you an idea of when you should be concerned about your snoring.
What causes snoring?
Before you get worked up over your snoring, let’s try to figure out some of the common causes that make someone snore. Shifting from light sleep to deep sleep causes your mouth to relax, triggering the tissues in your throat to vibrate and obstruct your airway. If your airway narrows more throughout the night, your snoring will only get louder.
Other factors include your sex, weight, alcohol consumption and family history. You can’t control the potential problems you inherited, such as the anatomy of your mouth, but you can limit your snoring by reducing alcohol consumption and getting enough sleep. You can also try different sleep positions, especially if you’re a back-sleeper since that produces the loudest snores.
When should you see a doctor?
Overweight men with a family history of snoring issues need to be on high alert if their snoring is getting out of hand. If you suffer from these additional symptoms, it’s time to schedule a visit to your doctor:
- Daytime drowsiness and headaches
- Constant sore throat
- High blood pressure
- Uncomfortable chest pain
- Ruining your partner’s sleeping patterns
How do you check for sleep apnea?
Outside of finding some comfort, going to a doctor will help you determine if you’re suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A lot of the side effects of OSA and a pesky snoring problem can overlap. Snoring is undoubtedly a nuisance, but it’s not life threatening like sleep apnea is. If OSA goes untreated, it can cause many complications as minimal as tiredness and as considerable as an unexpected death.
An OSA diagnosis can be disheartening, but certain things can help you. For example, a CPAP prescription will give you access to a machine that will improve your airway and breathing
Knowing when you should be concerned about your snoring may lessen your fear that something may be seriously wrong with you. Also, if there’s another problem such as OSA, you’ll understand the steps you need to take to ensure you get a solid and healthy night’s sleep every night.
