Snoring
- Snoring Overview
- Snoring Causes
- Snoring Symptoms
- When to Seek Medical Care
- Exams and Tests
- Snoring Treatment
- Self-Care at Home
- Medical Treatment
- Surgery
- Next Steps
- Outlook
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
Snoring Overview
Snoring is the noise produced during sleep by vibrations of the soft tissues at the back of your nose and throat. The noise is created by turbulent flow of air through narrowed air passages. In general and in most cases, snoring has no medical significance unless it keeps you or others from sleeping. However, a more serious problem related to snoring can occur when those same soft tissues block the air passages at the back of the throat while you are sleeping. This interferes with the ability to breathe. This condition is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and it can directly affect your health.
Next: Snoring Causes »
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Snoring
Insomnia Overview
Most adults have experienced insomnia or sleeplessness at one time or another in their lives. An estimated 30%-50% of the general population are affected by insomnia, and 10% have chronic insomnia.
Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease. By definition, insomnia is "difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or both" and it may be due to inadequate quality or quantity of sleep. Insomnia is not defined by a specific number of hours of sleep that one gets, since individuals vary widely in their sleep needs and practices. Although most of us know what insomnia is and how we feel and perform after one or more sleepless nights, few seek medical advice. Many people remain unaware of the behavioral and medical options available to treat insomnia.
Insomnia is generally classified based on the duration of the problem. Not everyone agrees on one definition, but generally:
- symptoms lasting less than one week...
Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine
Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Surgery »
Snoring, excessive daytime somnolence, restless sleep, and apnea are manifestations of sleep-disordered breathing, which has plagued society for centuries.
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