Some causes of snoring are genetic, and their causes can be more serious. For example, sleep apnea is a sometimes life-threatening condition that is also correlated with snoring.
If you suddenly start snoring, a life-threading condition isn’t likely to be the cause. It’s more likely that you’re snoring because of a recent life change. And the good news about that is that your snoring is probably reversible.
Want to know more about the most common causes of sudden snoring and what you can do about it? Then you better keep reading because this one’s for you!
Common Causes of Sudden Snoring
To understand why you’ve suddenly started snoring, you first need to know what snoring is in the first place. Snoring is a loud, vibrating noise your throat makes when your windpipe gets obstructed. Snoring usually only occurs when people are sleeping.
So, you’re snoring because your airways are obstructed. That means finding the cause of your sudden snoring hinges upon figuring out what’s obstructing your windpipe.
Here are the most common causes of blocked airways.
Wisdom Teeth
Some oral issues can lead to snoring, including partially erupted wisdom teeth. When your wisdom tooth breaks through your gums, but only partially, it can cause a condition called pericoronitis.
Pericoronitis occurs when the tissue partially covering your wisdom tooth becomes infected, leading to swelling and inflammation. This condition is also known to cause snoring.
See your dentist immediately if you think pericoronitis is causing your sudden snoring. Failing to treat your partially erupted wisdom tooth and associated pericoronitis could lead to a more serious infection.
Alcohol
If you’ve recently started consuming more alcohol, this could be the cause of your snoring. Alcohol is a muscle relaxer. When you consume too much alcohol, your throat muscles can constrict, reducing natural airflow through your throat.
Reducing your alcohol consumption may be enough to stop your snoring. If that’s not enough, consider quitting alcohol altogether or talk to your doctor about treatments for sudden snoring.
Medications
Some medications list snoring as a known side effect. Many of these are muscle relaxers. For example, anti-anxiety medications like lorazepam and diazepam are known to lead to snoring in some people.
These medications cause snoring in the same way alcohol does. They contract throat muscles, which compromises your airways.
Luckily, quitting the medications causing your sudden snoring may improve your symptoms. Of course, be sure to speak to your doctor before changing or stopping your prescription medications.
Weight Gain
Have you recently put on weight? Even the smallest weight gains can add up around the neck and throat. This makes it more likely for your airways to collapse, especially while you’re sleeping.
The good news is that losing weight is typically sufficient to reverse these effects and prevent you from snoring.
Lack of Exercise
Lack of exercise is another reason people start snoring suddenly. Similar to the effects of weight gain, lack of exercise can cause you to lose muscle in your neck and throat. And like weight gain, this increases the risk of collapsed airways during sleep.
You may be able to eliminate your snoring by exercising. However, it can be difficult to work out when your sudden snoring is affecting your sleep. In these cases, you may want to treat the snoring before getting back in the gym.
Aging
You may know that younger women are less likely to snore than men. What you may not know, though, is that post-menopausal women are as likely to snore as men. Why the difference?
Hormonal changes that occur during menopause are known to increase a woman’s risk of snoring. We know this because post-menopausal women who undergo hormonal therapy experience improved snoring.
However, it’s unclear exactly how hormones cause snoring and, therefore, how they restrict airways. In the meantime, rest assured that hormonal therapy can help women whose snoring started suddenly after menopause.
Getting Married
At first glance, it may seem ridiculous that getting married could cause sudden snoring. You’d be mostly right. After all, it’s not that getting married necessarily causes snoring but it may force you to suddenly become aware of your snoring.
Most people don’t know they snore unless someone points it out. So, if you’ve recently started sharing your bed with someone new, this could be the reason you think you’re experiencing sudden snoring.
Jaw Misalignment
Jaw misalignment that occurs after injury or due to a condition like TMJ or TMD is correlated with snoring. A misaligned jaw can affect your tongue’s position. While you’re asleep, the tongue can block your throat, leading to snoring.
Talk to your dentist about the services they offer to treat misaligned jaws. In many cases, fixing the jaw misalignment will also take care of your sudden snoring.
What to Do If You Suddenly Start Snoring
When you suddenly start snoring, the culprit is usually an obstructed windpipe. Alcohol and some medications, weight and exercise changes, aging, and some oral and jaw issues are the most common causes of sudden snoring.
Think jaw misalignment or partially erupted wisdom teeth are causing your snoring? The experts at Oral and Facial Surgery Center in Phoenix, Arizona are here to help. Give us a call today to find out how we can help stop your snoring.
