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Question
18 Jul 2011
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Snoring partner
My partner never used to snore. Since turning 40 all has changed. He has always had a constant post nasal drip, but it did not influence his sleeping pattern. Also no recent weight gain. He even constantly snores when sleeping on his SIDE......what can be the problem? Adenoids, tonsils?
ENT Expert
Dear Gerda
As one gets older, the tendency to snore becomes more pronounced, possibly due to a combination of factors, but age related factors also play a role. The muscles of the head and neck area become more 'floppy', and this could be a contributing factor. It is still a multi-factorial problem, and the cause could be found anywhere from the nasal passage, down to the base of tongue.
In children, the tonsils and adenoids are the most common cause of snoring, but in adults, this plays less of a role. The adenoids, even if not removed, tend to recede at the age of 12 years. Tonsils may be problematic, but once again they tend to get smaller as they are not used that often. There may of course be exeptions, so I would suggest an ENT examination, to try and find the source of the snoring. It could be that the only problem is the post-nasal drip, and this is usually well managed with medication.
Regards
As one gets older, the tendency to snore becomes more pronounced, possibly due to a combination of factors, but age related factors also play a role. The muscles of the head and neck area become more 'floppy', and this could be a contributing factor. It is still a multi-factorial problem, and the cause could be found anywhere from the nasal passage, down to the base of tongue.
In children, the tonsils and adenoids are the most common cause of snoring, but in adults, this plays less of a role. The adenoids, even if not removed, tend to recede at the age of 12 years. Tonsils may be problematic, but once again they tend to get smaller as they are not used that often. There may of course be exeptions, so I would suggest an ENT examination, to try and find the source of the snoring. It could be that the only problem is the post-nasal drip, and this is usually well managed with medication.
Regards
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