What causes snoring?

Let’s start by taking a general look at the various causes of snoring. Then we’ll zoom in and focus just on you and what causes your snoring.

Snoring is almost always caused by an obstruction of the airflow at the top of your throat – the uvula and soft palate cause a partial blockage and, as a result of the restricted flow of air while breathing, a regular and often loud noise is produced. But, as we’ll see, the noise created by snoring can be the least of a snorer’s worries.

Blockages that cause a person to snore can be created by one or more of the following abnormalities:

• An excess of fat in the throat
• A jaw that is out of its normal position
• A partial blockage or obstruction in the nasal passageway
• A general weakness in the throat muscles

Those are the most common causes of snoring, but there are also a number of other causes that can, either by themselves or combined with each other, also cause a blockage of the throat and the horrible rumbling snorts we’re going to do our best to get rid of. They are:

• Having a narrow jaw
• Large tonsils
• A very thick soft palate
• A large tongue
• Enlarged adenoids
• A crooked septum
• Small nasal valves

Possessing any one of these physical traits could cause you to snore, but having more than one–as you can imagine—can really turn you into a loud and frequent snorer. Not to mention the presence of outside causes of snoring.