Snoring is a common sleep related breathing disorder. At least 20% of the Australian adult population snore regularly and loud enough to disturb those around them.
Many lifestyle factors can affect snoring and can be addressed to try and reduce the severity of snoring.
- People who are overweight are much more likely to snore than those who are the correct weight for their height
- Snoring gets worse with age
- Men are three times more likely to snore than women. After menopause women tend to be equally affected
- Alcohol makes snoring worse. This is a direct effect, because alcohol relaxes the muscles of the throat and this causes airway collapse - the cause of snoring
- If you have a blocked nose at night, this may cause snoring. Correcting the nasal abnormality may reduce the snoring
- Smoking makes snoring worse
- Often lying on your side reduces snoring, particularly if it is not very severe. This is because when lying on your back, your tongue tends to fall backwards and block the airway
Dr Indu Gunawardena treats patients with snoring and other sleep-disorders to help sufferers make an informed decision about which treatment is the most appropriate.