Can snoring cause throat damage? Is snoring harmful for my throat?
A lot of people regularly wake with a dry or sore throat. Most of the time, this alleviates soon after waking for the day, and most people tend to associate it with sleeping with their mouth open.
But did you know that snoring can also cause a sore throat? This begs the question – “does snoring harm the throat?”
Understanding Snoring
A sore throat is usually blamed on a viral or bacterial upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). There are, however, numerous other common causes, especially if the irritation and dryness of the throat abate throughout the day. These include dehydration, breathing through the mouth during sleep, acid reflux, allergies, dry air or pollution, smoking, diabetes, and snoring.
Snoring occurs due to the vibration of the soft tissues of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, or occasionally the hypopharynx. This includes the nasal passages, soft palate, uvula, tongue, or the throat itself.
Occurring during sleep, especially if sleeping on the back, snoring is extremely common. According to research by the Southern Cross organisation, 50% of New Zealand’s adults snore occasionally and 25% do so habitually.
Snoring is disruptive – and not just for the snorer’s sleep partner. Snorers tend to wake frequently throughout the night, and even though they may be unaware of it, this inhibits quality sleep and the normal, healthy sleep cycle. By disrupting the sleep cycle and reducing time spent in deep sleep, an array of side effects occur. These include but are not limited to:
- headaches on waking
- mood issues
- problems with focus, memory, and concentration
- daytime fatigue and needing to nap
- impaired learning and job performance
- increased risk of motor vehicle and workplace accidents
- Possible health ramifications include carotid artery thickening (leading to a higher stroke risk), heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementias, and some cancers including those of the breast, ovaries, prostate, and colon.
Is Snoring Harmful for My Throat? Snoring and the Throat
As we’ve established above, snoring may indeed cause a sore throat – especially as most snoring occurs alongside mouth breathing. This leads to dryness, irritation, and a mildly sore throat on waking. The constant vibration of the tissues due to snoring also irritates and inflames the throat, resulting in scratchiness and soreness.
Moreover, acid reflux has been linked with snoring – and this may cause throat inflammation.
Can snoring actually harm the throat?
Sometimes, yes.
Chronic moderate to severe snoring may damage the upper airway tract. This exhibits neuromuscular injury and structural damage occurring both at the molecular level and as a potential loss of soft palate nerves and muscle mass. The damage progresses further due to chronic irritation and inflammation and compromises the body’s ability to repair these tissues.
An injurious cycle follows, whereby:
Snoring causes damage to the throat -> the body can’t adequately repair itself and recover promptly -> sleep patterns are disrupted even more -> snoring worsens in response -> damage to the throat worsens.
Ways to Reduce a Sore Throat from Snoring
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day to optimise hydration.
- If the air in your bedroom is very dry, use a humidifier.
- Losing weight can markedly improve snoring.
- Snoring generally occurs while sleeping on your back – so try to sleep on your side on an elevated pillow.
- Stop smoking, vaping, and recreational drug use.
- Limit your consumption of alcohol, caffeine, acidic drinks, sugar, and salt.
- Treat allergies, sinusitis, and nasal congestion to discourage mouth breathing.
- See your GP to rule out obstructive sleep apnea – this is a serious condition that requires medical treatment.
- Be aware that a chronic sore or dry throat could be due to another health condition. If you have a recurrent sore throat or one accompanied by fever, joint pain, pain or other issues with swallowing or breathing, the feeling of a lump in the throat, or mouth sores or white patches, see your doctor promptly.
- Stop snoring with a mandibular advancement device like ApneaRx.
ApneaRx Anti-Snoring Device
Snoring occasionally is generally harmless, however, if it is loud, chronic, or disruptive, it is a red flag for obstructive sleep apnea. This serious medical condition has numerous ramifications on health and well-being, so it’s very important that you visit your doctor as soon as possible for a definitive diagnosis and ongoing medical treatment if required.
If you do snore, you can help prevent associated throat irritation, inflammation, and damage by using ApneaRx to stop snoring quickly.
Buy ApneaRx Today! This innovative anti-snoring device is the NZ brand of a globally successful solution for snoring. It is worn in the mouth while you sleep to help open the airways and prevent the cause of most snoring. It is fully adjustable, washable, reusable, and comfortable to wear, and works by gently holding the lower jaw slightly forward.
ApneaRx is also effective for managing some of the symptoms associated with of mild to moderate sleep apnea and can be worn for a better healthier and more peaceful night’s sleep minmising the need for while you use CPAP.
Discover more about ApneaRx now. We also invite you to visit our news page to access helpful, informative, and entertaining articles about sleep health and snoring.
