It’s estimated that almost half of adults snore. There are many reasons why someone may be snoring. Sometimes it may indicate a serious health condition and can certainly be problematic to your sleeping partner.
Snoring can be caused by nasal problems like chronic nasal congestion due to allergies, a cold virus or a deviated nasal septum.
Snoring may also be associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This is a serious condition that causes loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops. This can lead to a greater risk of high blood pressure, heart conditions and stroke.
There are many risk factors that may contribute to snoring including:
Male Gender
Being overweight
Having a narrow airway
Drinking alcohol
Having nasal problems
Family history of snoring or SOA
Some symptoms that may be a sign that you are suffering from snoring troubles include daytime sleepiness, frequent frustration or anger, difficulty concentrating, an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents due to lack of sleep.
It’s important to discuss your snoring habits with your doctor so they can determine the cause by addressing your risk factors. They may want to refer you to a sleep medicine specialist for a sleep study. Sleep studies can be conducted either in house or in a medical facility depending on what your board-certified sleep medicine specialist decides.
If you suffer from allergies, your snoring may be due to nasal congestion. The Allergy Group can help assess your allergies and manage them so you don’t develop complications due to snoring.