It is estimated that 20% of men and 5% of women in the group of 30-year-olds snore, but after the age of 60 the statistics grow to, respectively, 60 % and 40%. This fact is connected, among others, with increased loss of soft throat tissue elasticity, obesity or development of diseases contributing to reduced muscle tension. App. 40% of Poles suffer from sleep disorders, such as snoring and apnoea, which considerably reduces the comfort of their daily lives and particularly rest, while becoming a serious problem to their families.
Snoring is caused by vibrations of flabby parts of the throat, including in particular the soft palate and the vulva, whose reasons are connected with disorders of unrestricted flow of air in the upper respiratory tract caused, among others, by:
- obstruction of the nose caused by nasal conchae hypertrophy, nasal septum curvature, nasal polyps
- elongated uvula
- flabby soft palate
- hypertrophy of the tongue pedicle or tonsils
Snoring may be a stage in the development of sleep apnoea. Shallow, interrupted sleep has a bad effect onto daily life. This is demonstrated as follows:
- feeling of sleepiness
- fatigue
- headache
- irritation
- concentration and memory problems
- distortion of relationship with the partner
- reduced libido
Untreated snoring may result in development of obstructive sleep apnoea episodes, which occur as a result of significant reduction in upper respiratory tract patency!
