Soft palette tissue and uvula that has relaxed and became flaccid as we get older. These organs may swell for those that are overweight or have large foramen cecum of tongue.

Old age tissue and muscles in the airway around the throat area (such as the side of the throat, uvula, Soft palette tissue, and tongue) became flaccid and blocks the airway,

Male tend to snore more than women because its believed that the female hormone play a key role in maintaining the flexibility in the muscle that controls the expansion of the airway.

Being overweight leads to excessive fat in the neck tissue that puts pressure on the airway and causes it to constrict.

Nasal congestion due to deviated nasal septum, infection of the nasal cavity, and nasal polyp can cause difficulty in breathing.

Alcohol and sleeping pill cause the muscles that open the airway to weaken and collapse.

Heredity people who have a family history of snoring are more likely to snore also.

Sleeping poorly can cause you to have more health problem due to insufficient rest.

Increased risk of many diseases, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and paralysis.

Frequent infection of the respiratory system. Difficulty swallowing or has a lump in the throat.

Daytime sleepiness which causes a decline in work efficiency. May cause accidents when driving automobiles or operating machinery.

Inability to concentrate at school and at work. Reduction in ability to remember things. Easily irritated. Reduction in sexual desire. Changes in behavior.

Development of childrens brain and body become suboptimal due to insufficient supply of oxygen. May cause learning difficulties, hyperactivity, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or bedwetting.

Meet an ENT physician (specializes in ear, nose, and throat) for an interview of patients history regarding snoring, abnormal symptoms, congenital disease, medicine history, alcohol consumption and/or smoking habits.

Take a general physical exam which includes weight and height measurement (in order to compute body mass index) and the neck circumference measurement.

Special evaluation of the nasal and oral cavity with a special instrument called Flexible Nasopharyngoscopy to find the location where the airway is constricted.

If snoring is accompanied with obstructive sleep apnea, then it is recommended that the patient take an overnight sleep test (Polysomnography) in the Sleep Laboratory.

Avoid sleeping on the back. Its best to sleep on the side with a head raised a bit.

Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or taking sleeping pills before bedtime.

Snoring in children is usually caused by enlarged tonsil and adenoid. Surgical treatment of the tonsil or adenoid can effectively reduce snoring.

For patients that have snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, which are periods that they are not breathing for more than 10 seconds during sleep, they can have a heart attack if the situation is chronic and is not treated. One of the treatments for this is a Nasal CPAP (Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine that is worn over the nose during sleep and opens the airway by pumping pressurized air into the airway to widen the narrow airway. The patient will be able to breathe easier and sleep better. This is a safe and effective method for almost all the patients.

For patients that has been using Nasal CPAP (Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) and found it to be ineffective or inconvenient to use, Somnoplasty is another alternative treatment that provides excellent result.

Its considered to be a small surgery that does not require general anesthesia or overnight stay at the hospital.