Is snoring a disease?

Snoring is a condition in which the soft tissues in the nasopharynx vibrate when air flows through, creating sounds during sleep. Snoring can range from very soft to loud, affecting those around you.

Snoring can be due to physiological or pathological reasons. Snoring sometimes occurs after a day of overwork, drinking too much alcohol, or having an incorrect sleeping position. Snoring that improves after the absence of these factors is often physiological. Loud, frequent and continuous snoring accompanied by difficulty breathing, apnea, headache, fatigue when waking up… is a sign of pathology and needs to be evaluated and treated by a specialist.

Pathologies that lead to snoring include deviated nasal septum, excessive nasal turbinates, nasal polyps, tumors in the nasopharynx, excessive tonsillitis, long velopharynx, enlarged base of the tongue, excessive adenoiditis, obesity… Sleep Snoring is also a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. If the disease is not treated promptly, it can cause complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, memory loss, sexual disorders, daily life accidents, stroke… Patients are often prescribed a polygraph. respiratory or polysomnography to diagnose and evaluate the severity of the disease.

People who snore simply and do not have sleep apnea should change their lifestyle such as losing weight, exercising, avoiding smoking, not drinking alcohol and taking sedatives, changing sleeping positions… to improve the situation.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea, there are two treatment options for snoring. One is to use a CPAP machine at home under remote monitoring by a doctor. This device produces air at just the right pressure to keep the upper airway open. The other is surgery. Surgery helps clear the airway and reduce snoring. However, not all snorers need surgery.

If the cause is properly diagnosed and appropriate treatment is given, snoring can be cured completely. Your husband should go to a hospital with an ear, nose and throat specialist so the doctor can examine, diagnose and give appropriate advice.