You definitely don’t know these little-known facts about snoring!

Many girls have had this experience, where their partner disturbs them while they are sleeping. In fact, both men and women snore, but men do snore more.

Severe snoring

Snoring is also called snoring. In most cases, snoring is even and steady, so it is not too serious. However, there is a kind of snoring that can cause a series of health problems! Everyone must pay attention to that - when snoring, the snoring is like thunder, and then suddenly it is silent, as if holding a breath, and there is respiratory arrest. It may be suffering from "Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS)".

"Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome" is referred to as sleep apnea or OSA. It refers to an adult's sleep apnea index (AHI) greater than 5 times and accompanied by decreased blood oxygen saturation.

The specific manifestations are:

Snoring, holding breath, waking up from sleep,

Dry mouth, dizziness, headache after waking up

No energy during the day, feeling very tired

Slow reaction, poor memory, irritability

Some people also have frequent urination and sweating

Long-term sleep apnea can lead to drowsiness, hypertension, coronary heart disease and dyslipidemia. About 1/3 of patients with hypertension have sleep apnea, and nearly 1/2 of patients with sleep apnea have hypertension. Sleep apnea can also cause arrhythmia and even sudden death.

The main reason why women snore

0 1 Women snore more as they get older

After menopause, the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome increases, which may be because estrogen and progesterone affect the tension of the upper airway dilator muscles and prevent airway congestion during sleep. Therefore, after menopause, women's estrogen and progesterone levels decrease, making them more likely to snore.

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0 2 Uncomfortable lying position

When lying on your back, the posterior tongue area collapses, that is, the tongue falls backwards, which will block part of the airway behind the tongue, narrowing the airway and causing snoring.

0 3 Mouth breathing

It can also cause the back of the tongue to collapse and cause snoring.

0 4 Obesity

Obese people who exceed the standard weight by more than 20% and have a BMI (body mass index) ≥ 25 have thick necks and more fat, so they are more likely to snore.

0 5Alcohol, smoking

Alcohol can aggravate upper airway obstruction, and smoking is associated with increased levels of upper airway inflammation. In addition, heredity, tongue hypertrophy, tonsil hypertrophy, drinking, smoking, the use of sedative hypnotic drugs such as muscle relaxants, or endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism are also related to the occurrence of snoring.

Who is more likely to snore?

01Are fat people more likely to snore than thin people?

Fat people are more likely to snore because they have a lot of fat in their throats. The thicker the neck, the more fat they have, and the more frequent apnea they experience. But this does not mean that thin people will not snore. A small nasopharynx and a long hard palate can also cause narrowing of the upper respiratory tract, which can prevent airflow from passing smoothly through the respiratory tract and cause snoring.

02Are men more likely to snore than women?

The proportion of male snoring is about twice that of females, and about 4% of adult males and 2% of adult females suffer from sleep apnea. This difference is mainly related to the anatomical structure. The position of the male larynx is lower than that of the female, so there is more space in the throat. When sleeping, the tongue is more likely to fall back, blocking the airway.

03Does your child snore?

Sleep apnea can also occur in children, especially snoring and mouth breathing. The most common cause is enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which block the back of the nose and restrict airflow.

What can I do to effectively relieve snoring?

Perhaps the following methods can play a certain preventive role:

01Losing weight

Most obese people have thick necks and more fat in the nose and throat, which can easily block the respiratory tract and increase the chance of snoring. Therefore, obese people should exercise more and actively lose weight to a healthy weight, which will not only help reduce the symptoms of snoring, but also help prevent and treat obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

02Adjust to right side sleeping position

Snoring is more likely to occur when lying flat or prone, so it is recommended to sleep on the right side with the head elevated to reduce the pressure on the airway caused by the tongue falling back during sleep. If it is difficult to maintain a side sleeping position, you can put a pillow on your back to help relieve the snoring.

Image source: Pixabay

03 Quit smoking and drinking, and eat a light diet

Tobacco, alcohol, and heavy-tasting food can irritate the throat, causing the throat muscles to lose tension and aggravate airway obstruction. Therefore, it is important to maintain good eating habits, which means: quit smoking and drinking, eat less oil and salt, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

This article is compiled from: Tencent Medical Dictionary, Tencent Medical Dictionary, Dingxiang Doctor, Chengdu Business Daily Sichuan Famous Doctor

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