Snoring

What is snoring?

Snoring refers to abnormal sound occurring in the airway during sleep. Snoring can be simple snoring, in other words, there's no real medical cause or complication of that particular type of snoring. That might be due to a deviated septum, or a large tongue base which does not obstruct the airway. The vast majority of people who've got snoring have this type of snoring. Snoring can also be associated with underlying medical conditions. The commonest association for snoring is with a condition called sleep apnea, where the snoring is associated with pauses and interruptions in breathing. Sleep apnea, because of this pausing in breathing, or obstruction of the airway, results in other complications in the long tem, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

Can snoring cause other problems?

Snoring can cause a variety of problems. The most common is probably relationship difficulties. So the social impact of snoring, the family psycho-social impact of snoring, is significant.

Is snoring more prevalent in men?

Snoring is more prevalent in men. There have not been significant studies on the prevalence of snoring in women. But one of the findings from a few of the studies is that doctors tend not to ask the female patients whether they snore.

What is the difference between snoring and sleep apnea?

The difference between snoring and sleep apnea is sleep apnea is a condition in which snoring is one of the associated features. Everyone who snores does not have sleep apnea. But most people who have sleep apnea snore.