Q: My husband snores loudly. It is worse if he has a cold. I do wear earplugs, and sometimes I have to sleep in another bedroom to get a good night’s sleep. It is beginning to affect our marriage. I know a stuffy nose can cause snoring. What else causes it? Can anything be done?
A: Snoring can jeopardize marriages due to lack of sleep in the non-snoring bed partner. About four million people in Canada, or approximately one in five, are chronic snorers. It seems to affect more men than women.
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It is most common in men aged 50-59. This is probably due to the rates of obesity, smoking and heavy drinking in this group of people. Men also have a greater tendency to put on weight around the neck. This excess fat can increase the pressure on the trachea Ð the airway from the mouth to the lungs. Overweight post-menopausal women can have the same problem. When a person is awake, the throat muscles keep the throat open, but when a person is asleep, these muscles are relaxed. Did you know that astronauts in space hardly ever snore? This is due to the zero gravity.
Children don’t usually snore, but if they do, it is because of a stuffy nose from allergies or a cold, or enlarged adenoids.
Famous snorers included Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill.
There are three types of snoring, depending on which anatomical structure is affected. It can be from the tongue, the nose or the uvula, which is the little flap at the back of the throat.
The noise is caused by vibrations of one or more of these areas. The tongue can fall across the airway, blocking the free passage of air to the lungs. The air has to literally try to force its way past the tongue. The uvula usually vibrates when a person breathes with his mouth open. Mouth breathing is often a result of blocked nasal passages.
What can be done to reduce snoring? Elevate the head with more pillows or firmer ones, or raise the head of the bed about10 centimetres. If he sleeps on his back, gently push him so that he rolls over onto his side. Ask your husband not to eat a heavy meal before bedtime because a full stomach puts upward pressure on the diaphragm. Also avoid drinking alcohol at this time since it also causes the throat muscles to relax.
If he smokes, try to get him to quit. Steam inhalation or nasal sprays can help reduce nasal congestion. Some people believe that drinking two cups of green tea before bedtime also helps. However do not forget the tea is also a diuretic and he may have to get up to go to the washroom.
If none of these methods helps, then there is a more drastic procedure known as urulopalatopharingoplasty. This is surgery on the palate or tongue to remove enlarged tonsils or adenoids. There is another type known as somnoplasty where needle electrodes are used to scar the base of the tongue or the palate. Unfortunately, the problem often reoccurs within five years. There may also be complications such as pain or difficulty in swallowing.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
