A severely stuffy or blocked nose is a leading cause of snoring. When we can’t breathe through our nose when sleeping we automatically resort to “plan B” which is to breathe through the mouth in order to get enough oxygen to the lungs. Mouth breathing, in turn, increases snoring because the soft tissues of the throat including the uvula and soft palate vibrate more and produce a louder snoring noise. Also, the tongue becomes dehydrated and this can actually cause it to enlarge. The tongue position is also affected when we do not breathe through the nose. All of these factors conspire to produce loud snoring.
Snoring may also be prominent in a condition called sleep apnea in which people stop breathing due to obstruction of the airways. This has health consequences and results in poor sleep quality, fatigue and daytime sleepiness.
At Nevada Sinus Relief, we seek to thoroughly evaluate the cause of snoring and a blocked nose feeling as well as develop an effective treatment plan for each patient. Schedule a consultation with us today!Â
