Lots of people snore, young and old, the healthy and ill, male and female. This has become very common that only few people really pay any attention to it.
Snoring is not good for the health of the snorer. snorers can be at the risk of various health problems. The overweight or obese also are more prevalent to be snorers. They mostly have bulkier throat and neck muscles and tissue which creates a narrow passageway for the air. Then the uvula and soft palate bump into each other and create a vibration. This vibration is what you hear when someone is snoring. As we age, our neck and throat muscles become more relaxed. This contributes to more snoring for the aging. When these relaxed throat muscles and tissue collapse, they obstruct off air to the airways.
There are three types of sleep apnea.One health problem related to snoring is obstructive sleep apnea, including; long interruptions of breathing and frequent waking from sleep.The obstructive form is caused by a physical blockage of the air passageway by relaxed throat tissue. Central sleep apnea results from a failure of the brain stem to trigger the respiratory process. The third type is complex sleep apnea which is a combination of the obstructive and central types. Heavy snorers with obstructive sleep apnea sleep don’t get the deep sleep needed to feel rested, and because of this, lack of oxygen levels in the blood stream can cause the heart to pump harder and increase blood pressure.
These interruptions that can occur many times during the night leads to poor sleep, resulting in drowsiness during the day. When this is left untreated from obstructed sleep apnea will result in many heart related problems such as enlargement of the heart, heart attacks, and strokes. Daytime sleepiness can also lift and result in making people more prone to industrial and motor vehicle accidents.