Snoring occurs when anything in your sleep inhibits your airways. Snoring loudly or for an extended period raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health concerns. Losing weight and avoiding alcohol before bedtime may help you stop snoring. Our dentists at Lakeshore Family Dental Care have provided all the information about snoring in this blog.
What Is Snoring?
Snoring occurs when air cannot flow freely through the mouth or nose. Soft tissues in the mouth, nose, and throat bump into each other and vibrate when air is driven through a congested location. The vibrations produce a rattling, snorting, or groaning sound. Snoring might make it challenging to get a good night’s sleep. Snoring that is loud and persistent (chronic) might indicate a dangerous condition called obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring can be stopped or reduced with various surgical and nonsurgical therapies. Consult your Whitehall dentist for more information
Causes Of Snoring
Air is pushed through your nose, mouth, and throat when you breathe. As you force air through a narrow airway, tissues such as the soft palate (the rear of the roof of the mouth), tonsils, adenoids, and tongue vibrate against each other. The vibrations produce a rattling, rumbling sound. A variety of conditions and factors can obstruct airflow. Some of the elements have been provided below by your dentist in Whitehall.
- Alcohol and other sedatives relax muscles, causing airflow to be restricted.
- Enlarged adenoids, tonsils, or tongues are examples of bulky soft tissue.
- Excess body fat compresses the airway and exerts pressure on the soft tissues.
- Hormones produced during pregnancy promote nasal irritation.
- Muscular weakness and low muscle tone in the mouth, nose, and throat.
- Congestion and nose inflammation are caused by a cold, flu, allergies, or airborne irritants.
- Differences in the structure of the mouth, nose, or throat reduce the size of the airway.
Warning Signs Of Snoring
Snoring sounds can range from mild vibrations or whistles to loud growling, snorting, or rumbling. When sleeping, some people may be unaware that they are snoring. Snorers may toss and turn at night, wake up with a dry, scratchy throat, and feel fatigued during the day. Sleep deprivation can result in headaches, difficulties concentrating, and irritability. In addition to snoring, some persons gasp for air and cease breathing for a few seconds while sleeping. These are sleep apnea symptoms, a disorder that, if left untreated, can lead to significant health concerns.
How Does Snoring Affect Your Oral Health?
Snoring can lead to a range of oral health issues. The most common is dry mouth, caused by a lack of saliva, which coats and moistens the mouth’s tissue. When salivary flow is disturbed as a result of snoring, you can develop infections, dental decay, gum disease, burning mouth syndrome, and persistent bad breath, to name a few. Saliva is an essential part of keeping the mouth clean. It cleans the gums, tongue, and cheeks to eliminate dead cells, which can decay and produce an odor if not removed. When your mouth doesn’t have enough saliva, dangerous bacteria might increase too quickly, causing mouth sores. Saliva is also required to neutralize acids created by plaque, and without its cleansing properties, gum disease and tooth decay would become much more prevalent.
We hope this blog has helped you learn more about snoring and its dental issues. Get in touch with us at Lakeshore Family Dental Care for the best snoring therapy in Whitehall, MI.