Can Snoring Cause A Sore Throat?

NOVEMBER 02, 2020 – BYDR. HAMAD SHAFQAT

Do you snore at night and are feeling a downfall in your overall performance lately? Have you recently been depressed and anxious? You are not alone, as there are many people suffering from this condition all around the globe. You’ll find thousands of people talking about snoring and associated problems on the internet. According to an estimate, at least 30% of the adult population snore, and the prevalence increases with age. The percentage rises to over 50% after the age of 60. ^{[1] [2]}

Snoring is considered a serious problem not just because of the sound, but it might be related to a severe underlying condition called sleep apnea that may lead to numerous other complications. These include persistent depletion of oxygen, inability to focus, dizziness, high blood pressure, etc.

If you are a heavy snorer and are often suffering from a sore throat, you might be wondering if there is a correlation between these two conditions. The simple answer to this is yes. In this article, we will discuss questions like, what does snoring do to your throat? Can you get a sore throat from snoring?

If you snore at night, chances are that your partner is very highly disturbed by it and might often shake you at night to stop the snores. While your partner is upset, you might also feel uneasy because of the symptoms you have when you wake up in the morning. Even though persistent snoring at night causes poor sleep, daytime fatigue, morning headaches, etc., many people also complain of dry mouth, large uvula, and a hurting throat. Frequent snoring at night ends up causing sore throat pain due to persistent irritation of nasal passage and throat. Studies suggest that snoring patients should visit a laryngologist to seek prompt treatment for any underlying or associated health issues, i.e. sore throat. ^[3]

Snoring And Sore Throat

In a sore throat, inflammation occurs at the posterior side of your throat. This leads to the following symptoms of pain while swallowing and talking and a feeling of the sore uvula.

Inflammation can occur due to viruses and bacteria, chemical, physical irritation like smoking and shouting, respectively. That’s where snoring comes into play! [4] Studies have pointed out that snoring frequently can increase the risk of aggravating an already sore throat or minor throat inflammation. 

Moreover, snoring is a typical sign of obstructive sleep apnea. So if your snoring is caused by OSA, you are automatically at an increased risk of throat inflammation. The respiratory tract of OSA patients tends to be more prone to inflammation. Studies have shown that sleep apnea severity is correlated with high levels of inflammation. In simple terms, this means that the worse your sleep apnea and snoring problem is, the more inflammation is ough to be found in your body.

Duration Of The Sore Throat

How long a sore throat from snoring lasts doesn’t have a definite duration. However, it depends on the cause of snoring. In some conditions, people develop sore throat at night time while others who have it all day long, may have worsening sore uvula during sleep at night. 

If you have a sore throat due to an infection, proper treatment for the infection will help minimize the intensity of the sore throat caused by snoring. But, if the cause of your sore throat is sleep apnea, you will experience chronic sore throat from snoring if sleep apnea remains untreated.

Remedies To Treat/Prevent A Sore Throat From Snoring

Curing a sore throat caused by snoring is not very difficult, but it is not a permanent remedy. You need to identify the root caused and get diagnosed by a healthcare professional. In the meanwhile, you can try the following sore throat remedies:

• Follow a healthy sleep routine for maintaining high sleep quality.
• Sleep on your side to prevent falling back of the tongue in the mouth that obstructs the airway.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, especially in the evening, to prevent throat muscles’ relaxation as it worsens snoring.
• Seek advice from your doctor if you are using medications like muscle relaxants and sedatives, which may be aggravating the snoring problem.
• Try using hot baths at night, take steam, use saline nasal sprays, decongestants, etc.
• Lose weight as it can help in managing sleep apnea as well as snoring [4]

Conclusion

Recovery from the sore throat depends on the proper diagnosis and prompt treatment of your condition. If you have an infection, your doctor will prescribe relevant medications. But, if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea, taking oral decongestants and antihistamines won’t solve the problem for you, and you might need CPAP treatment. Thus, it is crucial to seek prompt medical advice from your physician and strictly follow the treatment-plan for quick recovery.

References:

1. Davis RJ, Stradling JR. The Epidemiology of Sleep Apnea. Thorax. 1996;51(Suppl 2):65. doi: 10.1136/thx.51.Suppl_2. S65. [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
2. Punjabi NM. The Epidemiology of Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 2008;5(2):136–143. doi: 10.1513/pats.200709-155MG. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [CrossRef] [Google Scholar]
3. Dzieciolowska-Baran E, Gawlikowska-Sroka A, Czerwinski F. Snoring - The Role of The Laryngologist in Diagnosing and Treating Its Causes. Eur J Med Res. 2009;14 Suppl 4 (Suppl 4):67-70. doi:10.1186/2047-783x-14-s4-67

Wooden J. Can Snoring Really Cause A Sore Throat? – Why It Might And 12 Ways to Prevent It. BSS. Nov, 2019. https://www.bettersleepsimplified.com/snoring-treatments/can-snoring-cause-a-sore-throat/