Nearly everyone can pretty much recognize snoring from the first sound given off. Scientifically speaking, it is a rough sound created by breathing through the nose in a certain way that causes a vibration of the soft palate. The sound created is caused by the irregular passage of air at places in the mouth where there may be partial obstruction of breathing. The sound of snoring may vary from soft to loud, but is normally annoying to anybody kept awake because of it.
For most people, snoring is not a big problem. In fact, most people snore occasionally. People usually think men snore more than women do, but it can happen to anyone. Young or old, male or female... Literally anybody could snore at night and not even know it. It is believed though that men and people who are overweight tend to snore more often. Sometimes, adenoids cause snoring as well, especially in children.
Snoring may be caused by other factors. For instance, while sleeping, a partial relaxation of the muscles that hold the vocal cords can happen. They end up going close together and obstruct air passage.
Snoring could also happen during deep sleep (or even when unconscious), when a person is lying on his back. Sometimes, the tongue may fall back and partially closes the opening where air passes. This is the same cause of "stertor," or the noisy breathing that usually happens during concussions and apoplexy.
Another cause of snoring is mucus accumulation. Sometimes, mucus may collect in the nose or in the passages behind it, most likely due to inflammation or irritation. It could also happen if the muscles of the nose and throat are abnormally tense, they can also interfere with air passing out. If the nose is blocked and the lips are very tight together, a whistling sound comes out as the air passes through.
Snoring is not that big of a deal. It seldom disturbs the person who snores. However, it can, as previously mentioned, annoy whoever else is awake. Often, the snorer will stop if he has changed sleeping positions.
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