If you snore, even occasionally, you have been embarrassed or pointed out by someone who snored too much the night before. A common joke among many couples, pointing out the shortcomings of a partner, can become a very serious matter, even leading to divorce among less tolerant couples and even more serious health problems.

With so many transformations and technological advancements, many people are so worried about staying awake and participating in all the events that they forget about getting quality sleep. This anxiety affects both men and women, but one of them snores more.

Speech therapists explain who hangs out more between men and women – Photo: Freepik/ND

Speech therapy improves diction and speech, and this treatment is directly related to improved sleep quality. This field is gaining ground and helping many sleep disordered breathing patients through orofacial motor specialists.

Sleep is as important to a healthy life as nutrition, and physical and emotional health are directly dependent on meeting this basic need. Without a good night’s sleep, irritability increases and the ability to concentrate, understand clearly, and participate in daily life decreases.

Quality sleep is important for your health, and if you have someone snoring next to you, it can ruin everything. Photo: Freepik/Reproduction

Speech therapists observe a relationship between changes in the structures and functions of the stomatognathic system in individuals who snore and suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Many studies have already been conducted, and it is already known that speech therapy programs can reduce the frequency of snoring by 36% and its intensity by up to 59%.

Which of the men and women snores more?

Although snoring is very common, it masks health problems. In practice, this only occurs during sleep, as the neck muscles relax and reduce the space for air to pass through. This causes noise.

According to Talita Todeschini, speech therapist at CREFONO3 (Regional Council of Speech Therapy of Paraná and Santa Catarina), the vibration of the tissues through which air passes is the reason why we snore.

“Snoring is a curiosity: it affects men more than women, and this is because the male throat is more prone to obstruction. In fact, men tend to suffer more from sleep apnea.”

The term sleep apnea is used to describe stopping breathing for 10 seconds or more due to a partial blockage of the airway in the throat. It’s important to note that not everyone who snores has apnea, however, when the two problems are linked, several risks may arise.

This respiratory arrest is considered a chronic condition and in the long term it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arrhythmia and heart failure.

Speech therapy, snoring and apnea

According to speech therapist CREFONO3, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is the most advanced stage of snoring.

“The diagnosis is made through clinical assessment and confirmed by a polysomnographic study, which consists of one night of sleep monitoring and allows the assessment of several basic physiological parameters such as electroencephalogram, electrooculogram, electromyogram, airflow, respiratory effort, electrocardiogram and oximetry,” summarizes Talitha.

A polysomnographic study allows one to classify OSA according to the number of breathing stops, that is, the apnea index presented within a 60-minute interval. Research shows that on average, 75% of patients undergoing polysomnography are diagnosed with OSA.

One existing treatment approach for OSA is positive upper airway pressure (CPAP), which is known to be effective and is usually the first choice treatment. CPAP is a small machine that is turned on at night to help the patient breathe while they sleep.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy can lead to significant improvements. When aimed at snoring patients with and without OSA, it aims to adapt posture, sensation and proprioception, tone and mobility of the orofacial and pharyngeal muscles.

Based on the studies presented, the importance of speech therapy in the treatment of patients who snore and/or have OSA can be confirmed, given reports of improvement and reduction of episodes.

This relationship between speech therapy breathing disorders during sleep goes back to the fact that the structures involved in these disorders are obstructive breathing disorders, such as OSA and snoring, and are neuromuscular units, that is, the object of study and intervention in this area. orofacial motor skills.