Snoring is a hoarse sound occurring when air flows through the relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate. Most people will occasionally snore from a stuffed-up nose or poor sleeping position, but snoring may be chronic for others.
Snoring can do more than wake your loved ones and disrupt your sleep. For some people, a sore throat can be an unexpected side effect of snoring. Let’s examine why snoring can cause a sore throat and how you can manage your symptoms.
What Causes Your Sore Throat?
An estimated 30% of the population snores. Snoring increases with age, with 50% of people over 60 affected. Snoring can cause daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, frustration or anger, greater risk of high blood pressure, heart conditions and stroke, increased risk of car accidents and more.
Snoring and breathing through your mouth during the night can lead to dryness and irritation in the throat. The throat gradually starts to feel scratchy and sore when dry or irritated.
Snoring caused by a narrow or collapsed airway, structural nasal problems, allergies or other known causes is best managed by treating the underlying cause. If snoring has no underlying cause, there are a couple of home remedies for alleviating your sore throat.
Treating Your Sore Throat
A couple of home remedies for treating a sore throat include:
- Drink fluids. Drinking plenty of fluids will help your throat retain moisture. Try picking up some local honey and herbal tea at the Palmetto Bluff Farmers Market for an extra warm and soothing beverage.
- Run a humidifier. Running a humidifier in your bedroom at night will help reduce the dry air and prevent your sore throat from becoming severe.
- Cough drops. Cough drops, or hard candy will help you retain moisture in your throat.
- Saltwater gargle. Mix ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt with four to eight ounces of warm water and gargle the mixture as long as possible before spitting it out. Repeat this process several times a day if your sore throat is severe.
For more information on treating your sore throat or chronic snoring, contact Palmetto ENT & Allergy today to make an appointment with one of our trusted specialists.