Have you ever wondered what snoring can do to our body? Aside from being a nuisance during bed time, snoring can be a sign of certain conditions. Let me tell you everything I know about snoring.
So, can snoring cause a sore throat? Yes, snoring can cause a sore throat or a dry mouth in the morning.
When we snore, we breathe through our mouths which can cause the mouth to dry up and leave your throat feeling sore as well.
People snore when they experience difficulty in breathing. For example, a stuffy nose will cause a person to breathe through their mouth during sleep and this will cause the tissues in the throat to vibrate.
The vibrating sound around the tissues in the throat is what we call snoring.
Whenever there is an obstruction in the airways, causing difficulty in breathing that results in snoring, it is usually the throat that suffers.
But aside from that, snoring loudly and constantly is also a sign of a sleeping condition called “obstructive sleep apnea”.
If the sore throat caused by snoring is becoming normal, then it’s more likely that you might have sleep apnea that must be treated in order to get rid of the sore throat.
There are different factors that can cause a person to snore or have sleep apnea. As long as the cause is not fully eliminated, snoring and experiencing sore throat will persist.
However, if you are not a “regular snorer”, the sore throat will go away if you also stop snoring the next time you sleep.
Snoring and sleep apnea are usually chronic conditions that do not go away by itself but it can happen “temporarily”.
For example, drinking liquor and going to bed right after can cause a person to snore and experience sore throat in the morning.
This will go away the next time the person goes to sleep as long as they don’t drink again.
How to stop snoring and sore throat
There are different ways to stop snoring so you can also stop getting a sore throat. If your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, there are also ways that can help you resolve that.
The following methods will involve surgical operations, using medical equipment and some simple lifestyle changes. Again, snoring have different causes and thus, different treatments exist.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and snoring, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea and snoring.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and helping snoring.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea and cause you to snore.
- Try to avoid overworking yourself.
- Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to sleep apnea.
- Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to sleep apnea. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- Sleep with your head elevated.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
You can also use an anti-snore pillow which will keep your head in proper place that can help stop sleep apnea. Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
- Try to sleep on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
- Get plenty of exercises.
- Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop. This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning even as we sleep.
- Stop or limit smoking.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to sleep apnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
- Drink enough water.
- When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea. Stay hydrated!
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
Focus on eating healthy foods!
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
- Sleep on time.
- Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and have sleep apnea.
- Lose weight.
- Being overweight or obesity will cause difficulty in breathing. The excess fat will get in the way of the air passages, causing tissues to vibrate and cause sleep apnea.
Other tips also include using a humidifier in your bedroom, gargling with warm salt water (just 1/4 teaspoon of salt to 1/2 cup of water), drinking more water for the entire day and also trying warm tea with honey.
To understand the best treatment for your snoring or sleep apnea, please consult your doctor for proper diagnosis.
Why you should stop snoring and sore throat
If you feel like getting a sore throat from snoring is tolerable, imagine what can happen if you’re snoring because of sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea is no simple condition and it can be very dangerous to your health aside from damaging your throat.
- Snoring & sleep apnea causes:
- Death
- Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
- Difficult breathing
- Sleep apnea can occur when there is an obstruction in the airway or the brain is unable to function well that helps the body breathe, causing difficult breathing.
- Discomfort to your bed partner
- Since you will continue to snore, you will continue to make sleeping harder for your bed partner. This will eventually affect your overall relationship with people.
- Worsens other illnesses
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep disrupts your entire body’s functionality and eventually attacking the other diseases a patient may already have.
- Heart problems
- With sleep apnea, you are more prone to heart problems such as heart failure or heart attacks. This is due to the lack of blood oxygen levels.
- Irregular heartbeat
- Due to the low blood oxygen levels or the air is unable to reach your heart, it can lead to an abnormal heartbeat or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Stroke
- Similar to heart problems
- Depression
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
- Weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
- Diabetes
- Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
- Increases ADHD
- Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
- Headaches
- The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
- Daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty breathing at night can lead to restless sleeps, making you feel the need to stay asleep even during the day because your body couldn’t rest well at night.
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- Irritability
- When you are sleep deprived, you will unconsciously lose control of your emotional stability. You can become irritable or easily frustrated with sleep apnea.
- Poor memory
- Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation which may lower your brain’s performance as it affects the brain activity, causing poor memory in patients.
- Respiratory diseases
- Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
- Driving accidents
- The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.
- Death
It can be truly terrifying, so make sure you cure snoring immediately.
What causes snoring that leads to sore throat
To stop snoring, knowing what also causes it can help you out.
There are plenty of reasons why a person may snore but mainly, it’s when the person is experiencing difficulty in breathing.
When the body is unable to breathe properly, the surrounding tissues may vibrate which causes the sound called snoring.
This
can happen because of chronic conditions or natural anatomy formation.
It can be because of a narrow throat or such which can be fixed
through surgeries.
If not, there are also other reasons why a
person will snore. Check out this list to see if it may be applicable
to your situation.
- Being overweight
- Body fat can get in the way of the body’s ability to stretch its airways open making it harder to breathe which will cause snoring.
- Airway obstruction
- Anything that can obstruct the airways will make breathing difficult and cause the tissues to vibrate and cause snoring.
- Sleeping position
- Sleeping on your back may cause the tongue to fall back and the muscles to relax which can block the airways.
- Drinking liquor
- Drinking excessive liquor especially before going to sleep will relax the muscles and create difficulty in breathing
- Smoking cigarettes
- Being exposed to smoke can cause the muscles to swell, slowly blocking the airways and also irritating the lungs making it harder to breathe, causing a person to snore.
- Taking medications
- Certain medications or sedatives such as sleeping pills will cause the muscles to relax and be unable to work as it should, making breathing difficult and cause snoring.
- Sleeping exhausted
- Sometimes, going to bed overworked or completely exhausted can cause snoring since the body is too tired to help your breathing stay normal.
- Anatomical build
- Your physical attributes can obstruct your airways and some of this can be hereditary.
- Age
- As we age, our throat will become narrower which is beyond our control. However, proper sleep routine and a healthy, balanced diet can prevent snoring or sleep apnea.
Some of these cannot be prevented, but it’s still important that you know of it.
What are the signs of snoring that leads to sore throat
But how can you actually tell if you are snoring and if it’s really bad that it frequently causes a sore throat?
Well, aside from recording yourself during sleep or learning from a bed partner, there are also signs that can help you out.
- Gasping for air during sleep
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air. You may or may not notice this, but it can be a sign of constant snoring.
- Insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice is a sign that you might be a snorer.
- Hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to conditions like sleep apnea is a sign that you may be a snorer.
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to uncontrolled weight gain or weight loss for some cases. It’s because of the uncontrollable hormones affected by sleep deprivation.
- Waking up with a headache
- Obstructive sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state.
Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
So, if you usually wake up with a headache, there’s a chance that you have sleep apnea which also means you might be a snorer.
- Obstructive sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Obstructive sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything.
If you notice that you’re unable to focus normally, you might be snoring at night.
- Obstructive sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything.
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to obstructive sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge.
Having less control of your emotional stability can be a sign that you are a snorer.
- Your lack of energy due to obstructive sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge.
- Sudden pauses in breathing during sleep
- Your housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Obstructive sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds which is already risky.
Related Questions
Can a CPAP machine cause a sore throat?
Rarely, but yes. If the air pressure is too high, it can end up hurting or irritating your throat instead. If the machine is unclean, it can cause an infection too.
This is why it is important to know the right air pressure that your body needs and can tolerate. The throat is where your airways are and the CPAP machine helps keep the airways from “collapsing”.
Can snoring cause lung problems?
Yes, snoring can cause lung problems. Snoring because of sleep apnea disrupts the entire body’s functionality that may lead to several health problems, not just lung related problems.
