It is a known fact that snoring not just causes sleep disturbances to both the snorer and the bedmate, but also leads to several severe health conditions. For instance, loud snoring is a symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is characterized by breathing cessations during sleep and waking up gasping for breath. An apnea cycle could last from a few seconds to up to an hour in sleep. When snoring is loud and is an apnea symptom, a patient runs the risk of everything from lapses in concentration during the day to cardiovascular disease.

It is important to diagnose and understand the root cause of snoring to get the right remedies for it. Although even allergies and teeth structure can lead to snoring, the following are the main underlying causes of the health condition.

Mouth Breathing and Snoring

This refers to when one breathes through the mouth instead of the nose during sleep. It is recommended to identify if that is the reason why you snore with a medical checkup. Your snoring is likely due to mouth breathing if you snore only when the mouth is open. If so, keeping the mouth closed is the way to alleviate snoring. For that, you can use a chin strap for snoring.

Nasal Blockages and Snoring

If one’s nostrils are congested or if they collapse during sleep, it could cause blockages in the airway. One test to understand that is to close the nose’s one side by pressing it with the finger and then trying to take a breath with the mouth closed. If the nostril sags, then using a nasal dilator could help alleviate that and snoring. However, if nasal congestion is the reason behind constricted breathing, then probably allergies are causing that.

Tongue Falling and Snoring

When the tongue recedes into the throat’s back, it blocks the airway and thereby causes snoring. One way to test if that is the cause is to stick out the tongue as far as you can and grab it amid the teeth. If your snoring is alleviated in that position, it is likely due to tongue falling back into the throat. To prevent that, you can use a Mandibular Advancement Device to keep the lower jaw forward and keep the tongue from blocking the airway. Using a stop snoring mouthpiece will prevent that and will provide a free flow of air during sleep.