Snoring

Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. In some cases the sound may be soft, but in other cases, it can be rather loud and quite unpleasant. Generally speaking, the structures involved are the uvula and soft palate. The irregular airflow is caused by a passageway blockage and usually due to one of the following:

• Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep
• Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles
• Fat gathering in and around the throat
• Obstruction in the nasal passageway
• The tissues at the top of airways touching each other causing vibrations
• Relaxants such as alcohol or drugs relaxing throat muscles
• Sleeping on one's back, which may result in the tongue dropping to the back of the mouth.

Statistics on snoring are often contradictory, but at least 30% of adults and perhaps as many as 50% of people in some demographics snore.^[1] One survey of 5,713 Italian residents identified habitual snoring in 24% of men and 13.8% of women, rising to 60% of men and 40% of women aged 60 to 65 years; this suggests an increased susceptibility to snoring as age increases.^[2

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