Snoring & Possible Sleep Apnoea: When an ENT Check Helps

Snoring is often treated as a bit of a joke – the classic cartoonish noise that makes your partner nudge you awake. But if you’ve noticed your snoring getting worse recently, it might be time to take it seriously. Snoring is very common – nearly half of adults snore occasionally . Often it’s harmless (for example, snoring can flare up temporarily after a winter cold or a bit of festive weight gain) and more of a nuisance than a health concern. However, loud, persistent snoring can also be a warning sign of something called obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that actually disrupts your breathing at night. Understanding the difference between simple snoring and possible sleep apnoea is important for your health – and that’s where a check-up with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist can help.

Why Do People Snore?

Snoring happens when air can’t move freely through your nose and throat during sleep, causing the surrounding soft tissues to vibrate. While occasional snoring is nearly universal, about one in five adults snores habitually and loud enough to disturb their bed partner . There are many reasons why some people snore more than others. One of the biggest factors is being overweight – extra weight around the neck and throat can narrow your airway, making snoring more likely . Other common causes include drinking alcohol or taking sedatives before bed (which relax the throat muscles too much), smoking (which irritates and inflames the airway), and simply getting older (muscle tone decreases with age) .

Sometimes, anatomy plays a role too. If you have a deviated septum or nasal polyps, you might snore because you’re often breathing through a partially blocked nose. Enlarged tonsils or an overly long soft palate in the throat can also obstruct airflow. Your sleeping position matters as well – people who sleep flat on their back tend to snore more loudly, because gravity lets the tongue and soft tissues fall backward and partly block the upper airway . Often, simply rolling onto your side can reduce mild snoring .

Snoring vs. Sleep Apnoea: When to Be Concerned

How do you know if snoring is just snoring, or if it’s pointing to obstructive sleep apnoea? OSA is a sleep disorder where the airway actually collapses or becomes blocked repeatedly during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for brief moments. These episodes can happen dozens of times per hour in severe cases , jolting you out of deep sleep (often without you fully waking up each time). The tell-tale sign of OSA is loud snoring interrupted by silent pauses, often followed by a gasp or snort as you start breathing again . In essence, all people with OSA snore, but not all people who snore have OSA.

One reassuring fact is that only a minority of habitual snorers have obstructive sleep apnoea – one estimate suggests around 15% . However, because OSA happens during sleep, it often goes undiagnosed. In fact, the vast majority of people with sleep apnoea don’t realize they have it . They might just feel constantly tired or groggy without knowing why. This is why it’s important to watch for certain warning signs beyond just noise. Here are some red flags that snoring could be part of sleep apnoea:

Pauses in breathing during sleep – your partner notices you stop breathing for a few seconds at a time, or you wake up gasping or choking.
Loud, chronic snoring – especially if it happens every night and disrupts others.
Excessive daytime sleepiness – you feel drowsy, unfocused or find yourself nodding off during the day, even after what should be a full night’s sleep.
Morning headaches – waking up with a dull headache can be a sign your sleep was fragmented by apnoea episodes.
Dry mouth or sore throat on waking – breathing through an open mouth all night (common with OSA) can leave you parched and sore.
Difficulty concentrating or mood changes – poor sleep quality from OSA can lead to brain fog, irritability, or even depression over time.

If you recognize several of these symptoms in yourself, it’s worth getting evaluated. Untreated sleep apnoea doesn’t just make you tired; it can quietly put a strain on your health.

Hidden Dangers of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

Loud snoring might be the punchline of jokes, but obstructive sleep apnoea is no laughing matter. When breathing stops repeatedly at night, your body is briefly starved of oxygen and jolted into “fight or flight” mode. Over time, this can lead to serious health issues. High blood pressure is a common consequence – OSA’s repeated oxygen drops trigger stress hormones that raise blood pressure – and the condition is linked with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and even type 2 diabetes .

People with OSA are often plagued by chronic fatigue, which can affect their mood, memory and alertness. Drowsiness from poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate and increases the chance of accidents. In fact, people with untreated sleep apnoea have a much higher chance of car crashes due to drowsy driving – one study found they were about 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident than the general population . The good news is that with proper treatment, most of these risks can be greatly reduced – but the first step is recognizing the problem.

Safe Steps to Reduce Snoring at Home

If you’re dealing with mild snoring (and not experiencing the red-flag symptoms above), there are a few safe, simple steps you can try on your own to quiet things down:

Adjust your sleep position: Try sleeping on your side instead of your back. Side-sleeping helps keep your airway more open. You can use a body pillow or a special wedge to help keep yourself from rolling onto your back.
Skip evening alcohol and sedatives: Avoid drinking alcohol in the hours before bedtime, and use any sedative medications only under a doctor’s guidance. Alcohol and sleep aids relax your throat muscles, which makes snoring worse. It also helps to stick to a regular sleep schedule – being overly exhausted can actually increase snoring intensity.
Keep your nose clear: If nasal congestion is contributing to your snoring, address it directly. Use saline nasal spray or nasal strips to open up your nostrils at night, and treat allergies with appropriate medicine. A humidifier in the bedroom can also prevent dry air from irritating your nasal passages.
Maintain a healthy weight: Since excess weight is a top snoring risk factor, shedding a few kilos can make a big difference. Weight loss isn’t an overnight fix, but even gradual progress will reduce pressure on your throat and ease snoring.
Quit smoking (if you smoke): Smoking irritates and inflames the airways, which can worsen snoring. Quitting can improve your breathing at night (along with all the other health benefits it brings).

These measures can help with “simple” snoring and even mild cases of sleep apnoea. However, if your snoring continues unabated despite these tweaks, or if you have the earlier-mentioned warning signs, it’s important to seek a professional evaluation rather than ignoring it.

When to Get an ENT Specialist’s Opinion

An ENT specialist is a doctor with expertise in the ears, nose and throat – essentially, the anatomy responsible for snoring and sleep apnoea. If you have persistent, loud snoring (especially combined with any possible OSA signs), an ENT evaluation is often a sensible next step. Think of it as a calm, thorough check-up of your airways.

During an ENT consultation, the doctor will typically examine your nose, throat, mouth, and neck to look for any obvious causes of blockage. They will look for any physical obstructions, such as a deviated septum, nasal polyps, enlarged tonsils or other crowded airway anatomy. The ENT might use a small flexible camera to see the back of your nasal passages and throat – a quick, painless exam that can reveal structural problems contributing to snoring. If they do find something treatable – for example, swollen nasal tissue or oversized tonsils – they can discuss options to address it. Sometimes, fixing an anatomical issue (like straightening a deviated septum or removing enlarged tonsils) can significantly reduce snoring or improve sleep apnoea.

An ENT doctor will also consider whether you need a sleep study. If your history and symptoms strongly suggest OSA, the specialist can refer you for an overnight sleep test (often you can even do this at home). A sleep study will monitor your breathing and oxygen levels through the night to confirm if you have sleep apnoea and how severe it is. Getting a proper diagnosis is important because it opens the door to effective treatment. The most common treatment for confirmed OSA is CPAP therapy – sleeping with a mask that gently pumps air to keep your airway open – which can effectively control OSA when used consistently. But CPAP isn’t the only option. For milder OSA, an ENT might suggest an oral appliance (a custom-fitted mouthpiece that holds your jaw forward to maintain an open airway during sleep). Some patients might even benefit from surgery to remove or shrink obstructive tissue in the throat or nose, widening the airway.

An ENT specialist can pinpoint why you are snoring and recommend the appropriate next steps. If it turns out to be simple snoring, they’ll offer tailored advice to manage it – and if it is sleep apnoea, you’ll be in the right hands to get proper treatment. Either way, addressing it can help you and your loved ones enjoy quieter, more refreshing nights.

If your snoring comes with persistent daytime sleepiness, observed breathing pauses, or those nagging morning headaches, don’t ignore it. Consider booking a calm review with an ENT specialist to get to the root of the problem. Often, taking that step not only helps quiet the snoring, but can vastly improve your overall energy, health and peace of mind.