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Snoring Specialist

Paul E. Lapco, MD Our Services Snoring

Paul E. Lapco, MD

Otolaryngologist located in Pompano Beach, FL

Snoring is a common problem that can ruin your quality of sleep and disrupt the sleep of others in your household. When you need help with snoring, you receive customized care at Dr. Paul Lapco, ENT, in Pompano Beach, Florida. Paul Lapco, MD, determines the cause of your snoring and provides treatment that lets you sleep through the night. If someone complains about your loud snoring or you’re tired during the day, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

Snoring Q&A

What makes people snore?

The muscles that make up your tongue and throat naturally relax when you sleep. As they relax, they move toward your throat, where they narrow and cover the airway.

When you inhale, the air flows past the soft tissues and makes them vibrate. This vibration causes the sound of snoring. The narrower the airway, the louder you snore.

What causes snoring?

Many possible lifestyle and health factors contribute to snoring. Health conditions that cause nasal obstruction can lead to snoring, including:

  • Colds
  • Allergies
  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Nasal polyps
  • Enlarged tonsils
  • Enlarged turbinates
  • Deviated septum
  • Nasal valve collapse

Aging has a role because your muscles naturally weaken as you get older, allowing them to relax more while you sleep. Taking certain medications, drinking alcohol in the evening, and your sleep position can all factor into snoring.

Your weight also has a significant impact. If you’re overweight or obese, excess fat accumulates in the walls of your throat and further narrows the airway.

Does snoring affect my health?

Light snoring doesn’t affect your health. However, frequent snoring affects your sleep quality, and loud snoring indicates a potential problem. Loud snoring means your airway is significantly blocked, and you may have sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissues completely block your airway, and you briefly stop breathing while you sleep. These episodes happen 5-30 times every hour or more, and each time, your oxygen levels drop, and your cardiovascular system suffers significant stress.

As a result, sleep apnea increases your risk of developing serious problems such as high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, and metabolic disorders like Type 2 diabetes.

What other symptoms occur due to snoring?

Most people don’t know they snore unless others in their household tell them. However, snoring disrupts your sleep (even if it doesn’t wake you during the night) and causes symptoms such as:

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness
  • Morning headache or sore throat
  • Difficulty concentrating during the day
  • Memory problems
  • Irritability during the day

If you experience these symptoms or someone comments on your loud snoring, Dr. Lapco can determine the cause of your snoring and provide individualized treatment. 

How is snoring treated? 

Dr. Lapco performs a physical exam and possibly a sleep test to evaluate the severity of your snoring and how it affects your sleep quality. If you have a mild case of snoring, lifestyle changes such as adjusting your sleep position and losing weight may be all you need.

For more severe cases, or if you have sleep apnea, you may need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, a customized oral appliance, or surgery.

If you need help with snoring, call Dr. Paul Lapco, ENT, or book an appointment online today.

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