Do you also snore at night like Luizi in BBV? Everything you need to know and some tips on how to eliminate it

Snoring is a widespread disorder that can not only be really unbearable for the partner with whom we share the bed and compromise the couple's relationship, but it can also lead to serious health consequences and leave us feeling tired when we wake up.
Here is what we know and some advice on how to eliminate, or at least mitigate this disorder with the advice of Prof. Luigi Ferini Strambi, director of the Sleep Medicine Center at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan.

Why we snore
Snoring is a difficulty in passing air during breathing and is related to the partial narrowing of the upper airways. When the narrowing is complete, apnea occurs. The main reason why snoring is caused by a problem in the airways (located behind the throat, in the oropharyngeal tract): narrowing provokes this annoying discomfort. Basically what happens is that air cannot flow freely, causing the tissues to vibrate.

"In our clinical experience we see about 2,000 people a year who snore," explains Luigi Ferini Strambi, director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, "and we notice that women tolerate a man who snores more, while the opposite it's not true. According to some studies, men ask 5-7 times more for this specific reason than women. There is clearly a cultural implication, snoring is seen as something that people do and therefore socially it is more tolerated when a man snores."

The problem of snoring up to the age of 55 is mainly male. Women suffer less at a young age, but after the hormonal changes of menopause, they bring percentages similar to men's levels. "After studying the entire population of Abbiategrasso," adds the professor, "when the age of 55 is passed, snoring affects 20% of the general population, which means that one person in five snores."

The protective role of female hormones

With the arrival of menopause, the woman no longer has the protection of female hormones, which on the one hand stimulate breathing activity and on the other hand prevent her from "putting on the flute" where usually the man collects it around the neck. When a man puts on weight, 10% of the fat goes to the neck, so much so that when it happens, it is also necessary to change the size of the shirt collar.

Sa i rëndësishëm është perimetri i qafës

Dhjami i qafës është ai që përcakton ngushtimin e rrugëve të frymëmarrjes, ato që gjenden në traktin ari-faring, pas fytit. “Madhësia e qafës është edhe më e rëndësishme se pesha e përgjithshme e trupit kur flasim për problemet e frymëmarrjes. Duke pasur një perimetër të qafës më shumë se 43 centimetra te meshkujt dhe 41 centimetra te femrat është një faktor që promovon gërhitje dhe apnea penguese të gjumit”, shpjegon Ferini Strambi.

Megjithatë, nuk është vetëm yndyra në qafë apo yndyra në përgjithësi që favorizon gërhitjen dhe apnea e gjumit: gjithashtu duhet marrë në konsideratë edhe struktura e rrugëve të frymëmarrjes. Te fëmijët problemi i gërhitjes është shumë i theksuar, por është shkaktuar nga hipertrofia e tonusit. Te të rriturit një predispozitë anatomike është që të ketë një nofullë shumë të vogël.

"The problem of snoring and apnea in Asian populations essentially overlaps with European and American populations where obesity is more prevalent. This is because Asians, despite being less fat and with a thin neck, have a small jaw with retrognathia (anomaly characterized by backward movement of the upper jaw): which means a greater chance of snoring because the passage of air in the throat is limited", explains Ferini Strambi.