![]() It relaxes during breathing to allow airflow from the nasopharynx through the oropharynx on its way to the epiglottis and larynx. It contracts and elevates to act as a check valve during swallowing to prevent regurgitation of fluids into the nose. It is innervated by five different cranial nerves. The pharynx also contains a flap of muscular tissue called the soft palate. Its walls are made of muscles which contract and collapse the lumen during swallowing but otherwise maintain an open airway for breathing. The pharynx (throat) begins behind the nose (nasopharynx) and extends inferiorly past the back of the mouth (oropharynx) to end at and around the epiglottis (hypopharynx). Snoring is a noise made by vibration of soft tissues in the throat when a person is asleep. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what we know about snoring and probable mechanisms for this link. ![]() However, why most loud snoring individuals have an increased risk for these problems is unclear. We will discuss this in more detail later. Briefly, this is a syndrome involving episodes of hypoxemia in sleep induced by airway collapse that is reversed but repeated many times across the night. At our clinic, the link to cardiovascular disease and daytime sleepiness is usually because of coexisting sleep apnea. These individuals experience more hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, strokes and heart attacks than similar people who do not snore. This is true even if obesity is not a factor. Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that people who habitually snore loudly have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease. A typical patient is a male who is over 35, weighs about 235 pounds, snores loudly and is sleepy whenever quiet. ![]() The majority are males who are also overweight. Most are on an antihypertensive medication and a history of heart disease is common. At Sleep Consultants, our typical patient is referred for evaluation because of loud and obnoxious snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. ![]()
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