Have you ever pondered over the mystery of snoring, especially in women? Although it is often portrayed as a male-dominated phenomenon, the issue can occur in everyone. The comprehensive guide will unveil what causes snoring in females. Continue reading the blog to get some useful insights.
Pregnancy is the reason behind many changes in the body, many of which may contribute to snoring. Hormonal changes play a significant role during pregnancy and cause snoring. The rise in estrogen and progesterone levels can relax and swell the tissues in the nose and throat. This obstructs the airway, making it challenging for you to breathe during your sleep, thereby contributing to snoring. Moreover, the increased blood volume, which causes blood vessels to expand during pregnancy, can create nasal congestion and swelling, further aggravating snoring in women. It is common during the second trimester and becomes more frequent during the third trimester, but it is cured after delivery.
Menopause is the time when women stop having periods. As you go through this phase, the hormonal decrease can contribute to various health conditions. It reduces the tone of your throat muscle, contributing to snoring in women. The relaxation of these muscles further boosts the risk of snoring. Moreover, factors such as hot flashes associated with menopause cause disturbed sleep.
If you are overweight or suffer from obesity, you are more likely to snore because of additional tissues in the neck, throat, and tongue that can collapse the airway when you sleep. Excess weight, especially around the neck, pressurises the airway, narrowing it and creating unstable airflow. This disturbance contributes to vibrations called snoring, thereby underlining the significance of weight management to reduce snoring in women. Obesity reduces the lungs’ volume and interrupts the muscles involved in breathing.
Major nasal congestion or problems such as a deviated nasal septum can considerably obstruct normal airflow through the nose. When such obstructions occur in the nasal passages, you are forced to breathe through your mouth during your sleeping. Breathing through the mouth increases the chances of snoring because air travels through the relaxed tissues in the throat, creating vibrations and the snoring sound.
Lifestyle habits like smoking, alcohol, and sedatives disturb the muscles inside the throat and tongue, contributing to snoring. Smoking is among the causes of snoring women, making it worse because of short-term nicotine withdrawal when abstaining from smoking, especially at night or a rise in nasal problems. Drinking alcohol can increase snoring because of its effect on the upper airway muscles. In addition to smoking, several medications and sedatives may potentially cause snoring in females.
Certain medications are main causes of snoring women. They are are:
The reasons for snoring in females could be because of underlying medical conditions. Below are some common ones:
Sleep position can also lead to snoring. When you sleep on your back, the tongue and soft tissues at your throat’s back collapse, resulting snoring. In addition to sleep position, anatomical variations can cause snoring. They normally represent the body structure with morphological features. They include a narrow airway, swollen tonsils, or a deviated septum, which causes vibrations when the air flows through when you sleep.
Age is one of the main reasons for snoring in females. As you grow older, your muscle tone reduces throughout your body, including the upper airway muscles. The loss of muscle tone collapses the airway, which increases the risk of snoring. Snoring can become severe in women between the ages of 60 and 65.
Snoring in females is caused by various factors such as weight gain, hormonal changes, sleep position, allergies, menopause, etc. Common reasons for snoring in females are more than a minor inconvenience; they are symptoms that could indicate underlying health issues such as sleep apnea, hormonal changes, or lifestyle factors. Familiarising yourself with these causes and taking proactive steps to fix them can help you reduce snoring and enhance your sleep quality. Sleep Appliances are now considered the most effective, economical and compliant method of treating OSA.
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