Causes of Snoring

The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose.

This is the collapsible part of the airway where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and the uvula. When these structures strike against each other and vibrate during breathing is snoring.

Main cause of snoring is due to poor muscle tone in the muscles of the tongue and throat which allows the tongue to fall back into the airway. This occurs when the person's muscle control is too relaxed. This is also possible from alcohol or other drugs which cause sleepiness. It just happens to some persons when they relax into the deep stages of sleep.

There are several health and lifestyle factors that contribute to snoring; and this is true for both men and women, since snoring is a condition that does affect both genders

Some of the major health and lifestyle factors that can cause snoring include:

Allergies, asthma, a cold, or sinus infections

Such breathing problems cause blockage in your nasal airways and make inhalation difficult. This in turn creates a vacuum in your throat, and noisy breathing. Cold and Flu, which can similarly clog the airway causes snoring.

Nasal deformities , such as a deviated septum. Nasal irregularities can cause obstructed breathing. Thickened tissues in the nasal passages, which can sometimes result from some surgeries causes snoring.

Overuse of nasal sprays which irritate the nasal passageway. When a person has a stuffy or blocked-up nose he must blow hard to inhale air through it. This creates an exaggerated vacuum in his throat; the collapsible part of the airway then pulls together with the floppy tissues of the throat. Snoring then occurs in persons who would not snore if they could breathe properly through their nose.

Excessive bulkiness of the tissues of the throat

Large tonsils and adenoids can cause snoring in children. Overweight persons also have bulky tissues in their neck. Cysts or tumors could be present, but these are rare. The very important cause of snoring is obesity and excess weight.

Excessive length of the soft palate and uvula

It may dangle into the person's airway and act as a flutter valve during relaxed breathing and causes the noise of snoring.

Being middle-aged or beyond

As you age, your throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in your throat decreases. The normal aging process, which can simply lead to a loss of muscle tone in the neck and thus snoring.

Being male

Men have narrower air passages than do women and are more likely to snore. The other reason for snoring in men is, they tend to experience an excess gut. These two causes of snoring lead to increase the chance of snoring in male.

Sleeping on overly soft pillows

Pillows increase the angle of your neck and can contribute to obstruction of your airway, which causes snoring.

The cause of snoring may also be attributed to any of the following: aging, stuffy noses, common colds, allergies, tonsillitis, sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, alcohol consumption, sedative use, picwickian syndrome, obesity, deviated septum as well as nasal polyps.