Stop Snoring. Sleep Better.

Common Myths and Misconceptions About Snoring

People may joke around about snoring, but few realize that snoring can be very serious. It may either indicate a health issue or even be the root cause of it. Particularly loud snoring is often an indicator of a severe restriction of airflow in the throat when sleeping, which can have a wide variety of negative effects.

Unfortunately, a number of misconceptions exist about snoring that prevent people from getting the treatment they need.

What Are Some Common Reasons People Snore?

Snoring ultimately comes down to restricted airflow in the throat. This may result from a variety of causes, including:

  • Congestion
  • Obesity
  • Deviated septum
  • Thick soft palate
  • Elongated uvula
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Muscle relaxants

In some cases, the cause has to do with an excess of tissue hanging down into the throat while sleeping. For example, in people who are overweight, there is extra tissue pressing down on the throat, causing it to constrict.

In cases such as alcohol or muscle relaxants, the muscles in the throat become relaxed to the point where the throat collapses in on itself, restricting airflow and causing snoring.

Common Myths and Misconceptions About Snoring

The misconceptions and myths that most people are familiar with include:

  • Snoring is normal: Snoring is not a normal condition. It indicates that you are struggling to breathe while sleeping, which is never a good thing.
  • Only old or overweight people snore: While old age and obesity do put people at greater risk for snoring, it’s not restricted to only these categories. Anyone who has an obstruction in the throat while sleeping is likely to snore.
  • Losing weight will cure snoring: It will certainly help, but losing weight may not completely cure snoring. Other issues could be involved, so it’s best to get a professional diagnosis for the cause of your snoring. Often, excess weight results from snoring rather than being the sole cause.
  • I don’t need treatment: Snoring disrupts sleep patterns, and getting an extra hour of sleep won’t help. It prevents the deep sleep which is absolutely vital to proper cognitive and biological functioning. Snoring has also been connected with increased blood pressure, making it a risk factor for heart disease.

Determining if You Have a Snoring Problem – Contact Us

So how do you know if you have a snoring problem? First, if your spouse or partner tells you that you snore, you probably do. Second, The Snoring Center can provide you with a home sleep study to assess how well you’re sleeping at night. We can then use the results to help diagnose the problem. To learn more, contact The Snoring Center today!

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