Snoring is considered a sleep disturbance that causes a decrease in the quality of sleep, both for the person who suffers it and for family members.
The obstruction to the passage of air occurs at the point where the tongue coincides with the soft palate and the uvula or uvula or uvula bell, which is when they collide with each other and a vibration occurs during breathing, generating the typical noise of snoring.
The problem of snoring tends to occur more frequently in men than in women. In addition, obese or overweight people are more likely to suffer from this sleep disturbance, and it worsens with age.
People who snore have any of the following conditions:
- Low muscle tone in the throat or tongue muscles.
- Excessive development of throat tissues.
- Excessive length of the soft palate and uvula
- Nasal airway obstruction
Snoring and sleep apnea
In 50% of the cases, snoring is associated with sleep apnea, which is the temporary interruption of breathing for more than 10 seconds during sleep. Some of the habits that can be performed to improve the sleep of people who suffer from sleep apnea are:
- Avoiding alcohol and sedatives, healthy diet and not smoking.
- Use of special pillows
- Use of devices that keep the airway open during sleep, such as the apnea splint.
The apnea splint is an anti-snoring device available at Benalúa Dental Clinic, a medical treatment with a high rate of effectiveness. Its simple mechanism consists of moving the jaw forward allowing the airway to remain open.