In this video Dr Garry Cussell gives a brief explanation of what causes us to snore, but whilst it’s easy to identify the respiratory structures that cause vibration and noise, treating them effectively is not always so simple.
Mouth guards, nasal strips, chin straps and other devices all claim to stop snoring, but few of them address the root issues.
Anatomy of the throat.
Video transcript:
Both snoring and sleep apnoea occur because the air intake through our mouth down into our lungs is reduced by a narrowed airway, as a consequence of the narrowing of the airway and reduction of oxygen consequently to our brain, our brain sends a signal to us asking us to force a deeper inspiration to get more air in, as we breathe harder through the narrowed airway the snoring sound is caused by the vibration of the soft tissues at the back of the pallet, because this is the only thing that’s really loose and that makes that guttural, or snoring sound.