Snoring After Adenoids Have Been Removed

The National Sleep Foundation reports that almost 90 million American adults have snoring disorders; 37 million of those adults snore on a regular basis. Snoring affects both men and women and commonly affects men who are overweight. If you or your partner snores, it can have a negative impact on your health and increase risks of daytime dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

Woman covering her ears because of husband's snoring. (Image: AnaBGD/iStock/Getty Images)

Symptoms

During sleep, the muscles in your throat relax and your tongue naturally moves towards the back of your throat. A vibration is heard when you inhale and exhale. Some people even suffer from sleep apnea, a medical condition in which you stop breathing for a certain period of time. If you snore, you may also be very tired in the daytime, have problems concentrating, have a sore throat, gasping or choking at night and have high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats. Snorers have been reported to make noise as loud as 110 dB, which is equivalent to the level of a jet plane approaching, according to Andrew J.N. Prichard of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Adenoids

Adenoids are glands located on the inside of your head, close to the inner parts of the nasal passage. They help to trap bacteria but can become large and swollen. Swollen adenoids often cause snoring disorders.

Causes

You can snore for a variety of reasons including how you sleep, if your nose is congested or has any abnormalities, your age, if you use alcohol or muscle relaxants and whether or not you are overweight. Even if your adenoids have been removed, you may still snore if your snoring problem is caused by other reasons.

Treatments

Avariety of treatments are available to assist with your snoring problem. Some solutions are using oral appliances that help keep your air passages open, wearing a pressurized mask to force air down your airway and surgery. Nonmedical procedures involve use of herbal essential oils as a nasal mist or gargle. There are also facial exercises you can perform to strengthen the muscles in your jaw and neck. There is not enough evidence yet to support use of herbal essential oils as a method to treat snoring.

Warnings

Snoring can prevent you and your partner from getting the rest you require to function properly during the day. Daytime sleepiness may even impair your ability to operate a motor vehicle. If sleep apnea is present with your snoring disorder, it can be a serious medical condition.