Snoring can be a warning signal for an affliction known as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA causes breathing to stop while sleeping, due to obstructed air passages.

Snoring is a sign of difficulty breathing, but it is breathing at least. OSA can cause the sufferer to stop breathing for periods of over 10 seconds while sleeping, which then causes them to wake up gasping and choking for air.

This isn’t only a problem in the night either. OSA often leaves its victims with sore throats and headaches when they wake up in the morning. Lack of sleep due to OSA can lead to lack of concentration, bad behavior and general irritability.

If OSA goes untreated, it can lead to an increase in blood pressure, low oxygen levels in the blood and a greater chance of heart attack and stroke.

In the study done by “Chest”, 681 children from Cincinnati Childrens Hospital medical center were studied. The research also found that African-American children were about three times more likely to snore than other races.

Plus, it was found that children who test positive for Atopy (an indicator of allergies and asthma) were twice as likely to snore as those who tested negative.

The benefits of the study include identification of children who snore so the doctors could more accurately determine those that were at a higher risk of sleep disorders. This would allow them to work with the parents to help minimize any long-term damage.

In general, snoring is a result of a lack of airflow through the airways at the back of your mouth and nose. This is in the area at the back of your mouth, where your upper throat and tongue meet the uvula and soft palate.

When these tissues make contact, they vibrate which results in the sound of snoring.

Lack of muscle tone in the throat and tongue are one reason people snore. If the muscles are too relaxed, they can cause the airway to become restricted, which causes blockage and ultimately snoring.

Alcohol is another cause of overly relaxed muscles. Because alcohol is a depressant, it can cause your muscles to relax more than normal, leading to snoring. If you’re planning to drink at night, it’s best to stop about 4 hours before you go to bed to minimize the chance of snoring.

Sleeping pills and antihistamines are other depressants that have a similar effect to alcohol.

Being overweight is another common problem. It can lead to excess fat deposits in your neck and throat area, which can put pressure on your airway and restrict your breathing.

Allergies can also be a factor in snoring. They often cause nasal congestion which makes it difficult to breathe and can result in snoring.

The best solution for allergies is to use a nasal decongestant. Because antihistamines can contribute to snoring, they’re not the best way to deal with allergies. At night, try to stick to a decongestant.

These are a few of the more common reasons for snoring problems. Whether one of these problems sounds like it might be what is causing your snoring or not, it’s best to discuss the problem with a health care professional to get their informed opinion.

This can result in a lack of energy, irritability and other problems during the day, and it just compounds over time.

A recent survey showed that as many as 80% of couples where one is a snorer sleep apart. This can have a negative effect on the happiness of a marriage and the sex life.

If a snoring problem is having a negative effect on your relationship, it needs to be addressed. Here are a few things you can do to tackle the problem:

First, you need to discuss the issue with your husband or wife. If you’re not communicating about the problem, you won’t be able to come up with a solution.

Next, look at what could be causing the snoring problem and look at the various solutions. Some of the more common factors that lead to snoring are alcohol consumption, excess weight, sleeping pills, antihistamines and sleeping on your back.

By finding the underlying cause for your snoring, you can look at the most effective way to cure it. For example, if the snoring is caused when you’re sleeping on your back, you could put a tennis ball in a sock and pin it to the back of your pajamas.

If you roll on your back in the night, the discomfort will make you automatically roll back onto your side.

Regardless of the cause of the snoring problem, it’s always best to consult with a health care professional to get an informed opinion about the cause and the best treatment.

Snoring occurs when your airways are blocked while sleeping, restricting your breathing. In the case of primary snoring, the sound results from struggling to inhale. OSA occurs when snoring gets so bad that the airway is completely blocked, resulting in a lack of oxygen and the sufferer actually stops breathing – sometimes for more than 10 seconds.

Snoring can be caused by a number of different things. Being overweight, drinking alcohol, using sleeping pills and antihistamines, allergies, and a deviated septum are some common reasons that people snore. Primary snoring isn’t necessarily a huge problem but it does still have negative effects on you and your family.

For example, studies have shown that people who snore cause their spouse to lose roughly an hour of sleep each night, waking them up to 21 time every hour.

This can cause restlessness and other problems for the spouse – a problem known as Spousal Arousal Syndrome. The lack of quality sleep can have a number of effects on the non-snorer, such as irritability, stress, and being more prone to accidents.

OSA, however, can have much more serious effects. Snoring is usually a symptom of sleep apnea, although not always. Because OSA can causes a complete lack of airflow, the sufferer can wake up choking for air and sweating profusely. They also often experience headaches and sore throats because of their continuous struggle for air.

People suffering from OSA rarely get a good night’s sleep, leaving them irritable and unable to concentrate. This can affect both their personal and their work lives.

In the long term, if OSA is not treated it can lead to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke as well as high blood pressure.

If you have a snoring problem and some of these OSA symptoms are familiar to you, it’s important that you seek the advice of a health care professional.