Snoring Examination

Snoring – a condition that makes you look or funny if you fall asleep after a hearty lunch, or irritating if you disturb your partner’s sleep. This seemingly harmless phenomenon can be a symptom of disorders such as sleep apnea, but also physical problems such as obesity.

In addition to being irritating and uncomfortable, snoring can disrupt the quality of sleep, and due to poor oxygen supply, you can experience memory problems and constant exhaustion regardless of the number of hours you sleep.

By going for an examination, the causes of chronic snoring can be diagnosed, but with adequate methods you can eliminate this phenomenon forever and wake up cheerful and rested.

Snoring occurs due to a narrowing of the airways in the area of the soft palate and uvula (tissue that looks like a bell in the oral cavity). By narrowing the airways, air circulation occurs faster, and the tissue is more prone to vibrations at that moment.

Once the tissue begins to vibrate, a distinctive snoring sound is produced. Snoring can be more pronounced in the case of a stuffy nose, a crooked nasal septum (obstruction) or a naturally narrowed nasal cavity.

Snoring occurs more often in the case of:

• overweight

Excess weight creates a strain on your body, and every activity requires a higher supply of oxygen. Because of this, overweight people tend to breathe through their mouths.

Mouth breathing can cause dry airways and narrowing of the airways of the nasal cavity over time, which can result in snoring.

• eating foods rich in sugar

Foods and beverages rich in simple sugars cause the formation of phlegm, a mucous fluid that naturally lubricates the lungs and upper respiratory tract. However, increased mucus secretion can cause nasal congestion and eventually snoring problems.

• sleeping on the back

Due to the throwing of the head when sleeping on our backs, we automatically breathe through the mouth. Due to this position, soft palate vibrations and snoring occur.

• smoking and alcohol consumption

The smoke from cigarettes and other tobacco products dries out the mucous membranes and therefore there is an increased production of mucus once you quit smoking.

In addition to cigarettes, alcohol also causes dry mucous membranes due to dehydration of the body. The resulting mucus disrupts breathing and snoring problems occur.

• Sleeping pills or sedatives.

Although they help you fall asleep more easily, sleeping pills and sedatives additionally relax the muscles in the throat that make snoring even more pronounced.

• Age

In the elderly, the muscles of the tongue and neck naturally weaken and therefore there are changes in breathing, including snoring during sleep.

Snoring is in most cases a harmless phenomenon that does not necessarily disturb your sleep and general health. If you notice that snoring significantly affects the quality of your sleep, it is recommended to go for a check-up.

You should make an appointment for an examination if you notice the following symptoms:

• fatigue and exhaustion after sleep
• Dry mouth after waking up.
• morning headache
• Inability to concentrate on tasks
• Impaired memory
• feeling of suffocation during sleep
• chest pain
• You can fall asleep anytime, anywhere

These symptoms can occur as a result of excessive activity, current consumption of alcohol and tobacco products, or fatigue. In this case, snoring passes with the cessation of such habits.

However, if symptoms appear frequently, regardless of activities or consumption of certain products, we recommend that you go for a check-up.

These ailments can significantly affect your health, and can also indicate disorders such as sleep apnea, which can cause serious complications if not treated in time.

Examination of snoring consists of several diagnostic procedures.

• ENT examination

An otorhinolaryngology specialist performs a basic examination of the ear, nose and throat to find possible causes of your snoring problems. An ENT examination can notice thickenings in the upper respiratory tract that cause snoring.

• Epworth Questionnaire

This questionnaire seeks to present the subjective point of view of a person who has problems with snoring. The questionnaire consists of scenarios in which you are likely to take a nap. Such as:

The questionnaire contains several questions of similar categories, and based on the answers, an assessment of your problems with snoring and the severity of the disorder is given.

• The Berlin Questionnaire

A questionnaire of this type consists of 3 categories of questions:

1. Questions about the frequency of snoring: “How often do you snore?”
2. Questions about sleep quality: “Do you feel exhausted after sleep?”
3. issues related to blood pressure and BMI (weight-to-height ratio)

There are at least two questions in each category, and in each category there is a final criterion that is recorded with a score of 1-3. If the sum of the questions asked is 2 in at least two categories, a high probability of suffering from apnea is suspected.

1. Polysomnography

Polysomnography consists of staying in the hospital overnight to observe your vital functions while sleeping. Your breathing rhythm and heart rate are observed, and the appearance of snoring gives insight into possible complications.

1. CT and MRI scans

CT and MRI scans give insight into the patency of the airways. Any narrowing of the channel will be easily visible in the recordings.

You can solve snoring problems on your own if you stick to healthy habits that affect your overall health.

You can prevent snoring with the following tips:

• Quit smoking
• Reduce or completely stop drinking alcohol
• Maintain a healthy weight with regular exercise and a balanced diet
• avoid consuming anti-muscle relaxants (sedatives and sleeping pills)
• sleep on your side
• In case of a cold, use a nasal spray to moisturize and unclog the nose

If you still have problems with snoring after applying the above tips, it is necessary to take into account other ways of treating this problem.

At the Lohuis Filipović Polyclinic, we will be happy to talk to you and come to a common solution. Depending on the situation, we apply adequate methods and eliminate snoring problems. However, not every treatment is appropriate for every situation.

If the cause of your snoring is the relaxed muscles of the tongue and jaw, we opt to use an anti-snoring splint. The splint moves the jaw by a maximum of one centimeter, which leaves enough space for unhindered airflow through the pharynx.

However, narrowed airways due to a crooked nasal septum can also be the cause of your snoring. In this case, nasal septum surgery (septoplasty) is the optimal solution.

In addition to nasal septum surgery, soft palate and uvula surgery can also be performed. However, a small number of clients meet the conditions for this type of procedure.

If you disturb your loved ones or are exhausted from lack of sleep, snoring as a phenomenon should not be ignored.

Chronic snoring can warn of the development of problems such as apnea, but also of bad lifestyle habits that need to be changed.

Irregular sleep patterns, alcohol consumption, smoking, consumption of refined products, and an unbalanced diet can result in snoring as one of the primary warnings of a bad lifestyle.

If none of the solutions helps, at the Lohuis Filipović Polyclinic we will take care of you, find an adequate solution for your better sleep to get rid of snoring once and for all.

Make an appointment today and take the first step towards a better night’s sleep. Call us at +385 1 2444 646 or fill out our online form.