Lifespan’s A - Z Health Information Library

    Snoring
   

Snoring affects many of people during their sleep when the airway become partially blocked, forcing the lungs to inhale harder to compensate for the lack of air entering the body. The snoring sound results from the vibration the soft palate and the uvula.

Several factors are thought to cause snoring, including poor muscle tone, too much alcohol, heavy smoking, colds or allergies, obesity, and obstruction by enlarged adenoids and tonsils.

Usually, snoring is not an indication of an underlying disorder. However, people who snore and have quiet periods lasting more than 10 seconds may have some degree of sleep apnea.


Review Date: 12/21/2006
Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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