Snoring
What is snoring?
Snoring is breathing with a snorting, raspy sound while asleep.
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Snoring is common, especially in older people
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Snoring can be loud and may keep those near you awake
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You may not be aware that you snore
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Snoring can cause poor sleep at night and a lot of sleepiness during the day (excessive daytime sleepiness)
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Losing weight and not drinking alcohol near bedtime can help prevent snoring
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Snoring can be treated with various devices that can be worn or, rarely, with surgery to keep your breathing passages open
When should I see a doctor about my snoring?
See a doctor if you snore and have any of these warning signs:
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Periods of not breathing or choking during sleep—usually a bed partner or family member notices this
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Headaches when you wake up in the morning
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Extreme sleepiness during the day
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Obesity
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Very loud, constant snoring
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Sometimes, high blood pressure
If you don’t have warning signs, you probably don’t need to see a doctor unless your snoring bothers others.
What causes snoring?
Snoring happens when soft tissues in your nose and throat flutter as you breathe. The relaxation of your muscles during sleep probably allows the tissue to flutter.
Sometimes, snoring is caused by breathing problems such as obstructive sleep apnea. Apnea is a pause in your breathing during sleep caused by your throat or airway closing.
You're more likely to snore if you:
Snoring tends to run in families.
What will happen at my doctor's visit?
Doctors will ask about your symptoms and do an exam. If they think you may have sleep apnea, they may do:
In a sleep test, doctors monitor your breathing and other things related to sleep. This test takes place while you're sleeping. It may be done overnight in a sleep laboratory or at home.
How do doctors treat snoring?
If a problem such as sleep apnea is causing your snoring, doctors will treat that.
If you have sleep apnea, doctors may:
If there's no underlying problem causing your snoring, it may help to:
Family members, bed partners, or roommates bothered by snoring may want to:
