Snoring and Sleep Apnea: Do You Have OSA if You Snore?

Zzz–an all-too-familiar sound describing a deep slumber. But does it signify something else? More specifically, do snoring and sleep apnea always go hand in hand?

While nocturnal grunts and snorts are tell-tale signs of sleep apnea, it doesn’t always mean that someone has this condition. Plus, not everyone with sleep apnea snores. As with any kind of illness, it’s important to understand the symptoms and bust the myths surrounding sleep apnea. That way, you can get diagnosed correctly and start sleep apnea treatment as early as possible.

In this guide, we’ll explore the causes of snoring, potential health risks, and treatment options for both snoring and sleep apnea.

As you drift into dreamland, you probably feel your muscles relaxing, including those in your throat, soft palate, and tongue. When these muscles sag, they can narrow your airway. And when air passes through a constricted airway, it creates vibrations, causing that nighttime noise we call “snoring.” 

Why do the throat muscles relax during sleep? It could be one or a combination of these things¹:

Anatomy

Certain anatomical features can constrict your airway and increase the vibrations that cause snoring. These include:

• Long uvula
• Thick soft palate
• Large tonsils or adenoids
• Weak muscle tone

Nasal Problems

If you have a stuffy nose or polyps in your nostrils, it can hinder breathing. A deviated septum can also obstruct your airway during sleep. 

Sleeping on Your Back

Another culprit behind snoring may be your sleep position. If you usually sleep on your back, gravity can pull your tongue to the back of your throat, resulting in an airway blockage.

Excess Weight

Being overweight or obese can contribute to snoring because of the presence of excess fat around the neck. The thicker the throat tissue in your neck, the narrower your airway.  

Alcohol and Certain Medications

Drinking or taking prescription medications that relax your muscles can contribute to airway obstruction and snoring.

Almost everyone snores on occasion. Across the US, about 90 million² contribute to the nighttime symphony. But for chronic snorers, is the noise more than just a nuisance to their bed partners?

Snoring Without Sleep Apnea

Occasional snoring without sleep apnea or other conditions is generally harmless. But habitual snoring can affect the quantity and quality of your slumber–and you probably know the importance of getting sleep, as well as the consequences of not having enough of it.

From mental health problems to reduced immunity and chronic illnesses, there are tons of things you need to worry about if you’re always sleep-deprived.

Snoring With Sleep Apnea

While snoring without sleep apnea is possible, chronic snoring is often linked to this sleep disorder. And when that happens, there are more serious health risks involved.

Sleep apnea refers to the frequent interruptions or pauses in breath during sleep. It comes in two forms: obstructive and central. The most common type, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), happens when the throat muscles relax excessively and block your airway. 

Sounds like snoring, right? It’s no surprise that a 2014 study, which tested 273 snorers, concluded that about 96% of them have mild to severe sleep apnea.³ And in a 2007 study, researchers found that among 191 snorers, 66% or 126 had OSA.⁴

Can You Have Sleep Apnea Without Snoring?

While snoring is one of the most common symptoms of OSA, it’s possible to have sleep apnea without snoring. In fact, up to 20% of people with sleep apnea don’t even snore.⁵

The absence of snoring doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of sleep apnea, which makes it all the more important to recognize the other symptoms of OSA. 

Symptoms of OSA

Besides loud snoring, these are the signs that point to OSA:

• Gasping and choking during sleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness or fatigue
• Waking up with a headache, dry mouth, or sore throat
• Difficulty in concentrating or focusing
• High blood pressure
• Irritability and changes in mood

Whether you snore or not, the importance of an early sleep apnea diagnosis cannot be emphasized enough. If you experience the abovementioned symptoms, you might want to take a home sleep study, which can test you for sleep apnea even if you don’t snore.

If you’ve been snoring regularly and gotten diagnosed with sleep apnea, you’re probably wondering: will treating OSA put an end to your snoring? The answer is a resounding yes–as long as you stick with the treatment. Because treating sleep apnea can help you breathe more easily during sleep, it can also stop snoring in the process.

Let’s take a look at the treatment methods your doctor may recommend for OSA:

CPAP

Oral Appliance

CPAP is truly the gold standard for sleep apnea treatment, but it isn’t for everyone. One popular alternative to CPAP is oral appliance therapy. Using an impression of your teeth, a dentist will create a device that positions the lower jaw forward, keeping your airway open during sleep. As a result, it can help treat snoring and sleep apnea.

For this treatment, you have to see a sleep specialist and a dentist specializing in oral mandibular advancement devices.

Surgery

A common surgical treatment for OSA, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) aims to remove the extra tissue surrounding the airway. This includes part or all of the uvula, tonsils and adenoids, and part of the soft palate.

While an ear, nose, and throat specialist can recommend this as a surgical treatment for snoring, with a success rate of 75% to 95%,⁶ the reported success rate of UPPP for treating OSA varies between 25% and 80%.⁷ It also involves general anesthesia and a recovery period of two to three weeks. 

Now that we’ve discussed the methods for treating OSA and how they can help stop snoring, let’s take a look at the treatment for snoring without sleep apnea. Your options come in two types: non-invasive and surgery. 

Treating Snoring Naturally

To treat snoring, the first thing your doctor might suggest is making a few simple tweaks to your lifestyle. These include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Sleeping on your side rather than on your back
• Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep
• Avoiding alcohol and sedatives before bedtime
• Quitting smoking
• Getting rid of nasal congestion and allergies

Snoring Surgery Options

Most snoring surgery options treat sleep apnea as well. Apart from UPPP, these surgical procedures can effectively treat chronic snoring^{2 8}:

Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) osteotomy: One of the most common snoring surgery options, MMA involves cutting the upper and lower jaws and moving them forward to open up the airway. This is an effective treatment for OSA, and it can resolve snoring within two weeks after the surgery. 

Functional expansion pharyngoplasty (FEP): An alternative to UPPP, FEP involves cutting the soft palate, pulling it forward, and splinting some of the muscles in the back of your throat (the lateral pharyngeal wall).

Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy: During these outpatient surgical procedures, enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which can block the airways and cause snoring, are removed. 

Genioglossus advancement: To keep the tongue from obstructing the airway, this surgical treatment for snoring pulls the muscle at the base of the tongue forward and anchors it with a screw or plate. 

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation: A treatment method for both snoring and sleep apnea, it involves surgically implanting a hypoglossal nerve stimulator in the neck and chest. This device sends a soft electric pulse to the nerve under the tongue, causing the tongue to move forward and removing airway obstruction. 

Pillar procedure: During this surgery, a palatal implant is permanently secured in the soft palate to stiffen it and keep it from obstructing the airway. 

Septoplasty with turbinoplasty: Septoplasty involves straightening a deviated septum, while turbinoplasty aims to reduce the size of the turbinates (the small structures in your nose that regulate the airflow). Together, this procedure can remove any nasal obstruction that causes snoring and sleep apnea. 

Thermal ablation: Using a laser or radiofrequency energy, this minimally invasive procedure can reduce the size of the tissues causing airway obstruction. These include the turbinates, soft palate, and the base of the tongue. 

From excess weight and nasal congestion to certain medications and anatomical features, there are various things that can contribute to snoring. While it doesn’t always mean you have sleep apnea, loud chronic snoring is often indicative of this sleep disorder. And while snoring in itself isn’t dangerous, it can present health risks associated with sleep deprivation. This is especially true if your snoring is a sign of OSA.

In most cases, there’s no need for surgery to treat OSA and snoring. CPAP therapy and all other popular noninvasive treatment methods for OSA can effectively stop those nighttime sounds. Whether you snore every night or experience other symptoms of OSA, make sure to get tested as soon as possible. That way, you can avoid the serious health risks associated with this condition.

Our team here on RespShop can screen you for OSA. After the initial telemedicine appointment, we’ll send you a home sleep test kit. Certified sleep specialists will then interpret the data collected from the test device and, if you’re diagnosed with OSA, write you a prescription for CPAP therapy.

Have any questions about our home sleep test, snoring, or other OSA symptoms? Don’t hesitate to contact us using any of the options below.

1. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2017, December 22). Snoring. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/snoring/symptoms-causes/syc-20377694

2. Yale Medicine. (2022, October 29). Snoring. Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/snoring

3. Keropian, B., & Murphy, N. (2014). The prevalence of OSA in snorers presenting with various chief complaints: a pilot study. Cranio : the journal of craniomandibular practice, 32(3), 217–218. https://doi.org/10.1179/0886963414Z.00000000032

4. Ibrahim, A. S., Almohammed, A. A., Allangawi, M. H., A Sattar, H. A., Mobayed, H. S., Pannerselvam, B., & Philipose, M. V. (2007). Predictors of obstructive sleep apnea in snorers. Annals of Saudi medicine, 27(6), 421–426. https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2007.421

5. Sleep apnea symptoms and risks: 6 myths to know. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sleep-apnea-symptoms-and-risks-6-myths-to-know

6. Levin, B. C., & Becker, G. D. (1994). Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for snoring: long-term results. The Laryngoscope, 104(9), 1150–1152. https://doi.org/10.1288/00005537-199409000-00017

7. Friedman, M., & Salapatas, A. M. (2020). Chapter 20 – Algorithm for Multilevel Treatment: Friedman Experience. In M. Friedman & O. Jacobowitz (Eds.), Sleep Apnea and Snoring (Second Edition) (pp. 120–126). Elsevier. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-44339-5.00020-1

8. Sabbe, A. V., De Medts, J., & Delsupehe, K. (2017). Surgical treatments for snoring. B-ENT, 13(1 Suppl 27), 1–7.