Re: Do animals snore? if so , which ones and why? Is it the same as apnea?

Date: Mon Jun 19 08:16:14 2000
Posted By: Janet Hoff, Staff, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 959740240.Zo

Message:

Yes, animals do snore. I have first hand experience on this question, since I owned a Persian cat who sounded just like a human when sleeping. Animals with "smooshed in" faces are predisposed to snoring, since the anatomy of the sinus area is not natural. I copied the following information on snoring and sleep apnea from healthlinkusa.com. This information also applies to animals.

Snoring is a breathing noise that occurs while someone is sleeping. It usually occurs when a person is inhaling as opposed to exhaling, the source being the vibration of the tissues in the throat. The noise is typically produced by the soft palate, vibrating against the back of the throat or the base of the tongue. This vibration is a rapid alternating opening and closing of the air passage which makes it more difficult to inhale. This noise is a clear indication that there is a blockage in the breathing passage, albeit intermittent. Some snoring is very loud, while some is very soft and indiscernible. The loudness and the tone of the noise is caused by bow much air is going through the air passage and bow much the throat tissue is vibrating.

Not all breathing noise during sleep is actually caused by these vibrations in the throat. There are many noises that are caused by the larynx or voice box. If they are sleep disruptive, they should be checked into by visiting your family doctor.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring is a medical condition and since all medical conditions produce symptoms, we can assume that the noise is a symptom of snoring. But be advised that the symptom might be caused by a variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to Sleep Apnea. It may occur in isolation or accompanied by other symptoms. Snoring represents abnormal breathing during sleep.

Most people have sufficient space in their throat to allow air to flow easily without producing noise. When this space is reduced, the tissues of the throat, which are soft and collapsible, may come into contact with each other and vibrate as air is drawn between them. That vibration is what is commonly called snoring. When the mouth is opened, which might occur when sleeping on the back, the base of the tongue is positioned further back in the throat, pressing the uvula against the back of the throat. When air passes between these tissues, a vibration is caused between the uvula and the soft palate and snoring occurs. The potential for the narrowing of the airway and the subsequent snoring is greatest during sleep because the throat muscles, tissues and tongue are relaxed, causing the air passageway to narrow.

What Can Cause or Worsen a Snoring Condition?When most people are awake and upright, they tend to breathe through their noses, but breathing through the mouth is often necessary to draw in more air. This is especially true during periods of great exertion. During sleep, however, breathing through the nose is considered normal. Most snoring takes place when a person breathes through the mouth. To fully appreciate why this occurs, you must first understand how the nasal passages function. The nose is divided into two chambers (nostrils) by a cartilage plate called the nasal septum. At the back of each nostril is a narrow space called the nasal valve. Each of these openings is only 1/10th of an inch wide and every opening is surrounded by blood vessels which can swell and close the breathing space. Millions of people have structural problems that range from deviated septums to broken noses. The common cold and even pregnancy can cause the blood vessels to swell and block the breathing passage. When the breathing passage shrinks, we are then forced to breathe through our mouths. The nasal valve, the small slit-shaped space at the back of each nostril, is where all the air must pass on its way to fill the lungs. This space can easily become blocked. Normally, we breathe through only one side at a time, cycling this breathing every few hours. When a deviated septum or any blockage is involved, it disrupts the airflow during that cycle. This is especially true when lying down, since water tends to gravitate to the blood vessels in the nose surrounding the opening at the back of the nasal passage, closing it off. Any condition that forces breathing through the mouth increases the chance for snoring to occur. Difficulty Breathing Through the Nose Can Cause or Worsen Snoring: Any condition that forces breathing through the mouth will force the base of the tongue towards the back of the throat, narrowing the air space and causing vibrations and snoring. If the snorer is still capable of breathing through the nose during periods of blockage, the air will be passing through with more force. This effort also causes vibrations to occur, and this, of course, can cause snoring. Other Causal Factors: Obesity, causing additional fatty deposits in the throat narrowing the air passage. An enlarged tongue and uvula reduce the airway. A receding chin, due to a poorly positioned jaw, can cause a reduction in airway size. Enlarged tonsils or adenoids in children can have the same reducing effect as adults and thus cause snoring in children. Some drugs can increase snoring by increasing the muscular relaxation in the throat, particularly alcohol, tranquilizers, and antihistamines. Many other drugs can cause nasal congestion including certain medications used to treat high blood pressure and prostate disease, as well as the chronic use of some nasal sprays and a variety of irritants, including cigarette smoke. Sleeping on the back causes snoring in that it keeps you from benefiting from a normal sleep reflex. Sleeping on the side causes a natural reflex to decongest the nostril on the opposite side, allowing easier breathing through the nasal passage. Sleeping on the back disturbs this normal reflex. What is Sleep Apnea? There are some people that suffer from a complete collapse or an obstruction in the airway and consequently the supply of the air to the lungs is totally blocked off. When this occurs it is called Sleep Apnea. An apnea is defined as an absence of air flow for about 10 seconds or more. A person with a typical case of sleep apnea has a blockage of breathing of from 10-60 seconds at a frequency of 5 times per hour. Despite the lack of oxygen, the person will still try to bring in air to the lungs, forcing a complete collapse of the tissues of the throat and causing a gasping or snoring-type noise. During this process, the person will have a dangerous drop in blood oxygen levels and an increase in blood pressure at the same time. This situation can become potentially dangerous. A physician should be called for corrective procedures. Under normal circumstances, the apnea is terminated by an arousal, and for the most part is so brief it is hardly remembered. The arousal increases the tone of the muscles in the throat and tongue, thereby releasing the airway blockage and creating a loud grunt or snore. This is usually followed by a period of rapid breathing and again a new apnea occurs. A sufferer of sleep apnea could have several hundred occurrences of apnea during the sleeping hours. Restless sleeping, snoring, grunting, tossing and turning, and scaring ones partner are only a partial list of the problems that are faced by apnea sufferers.

Uncontrollable sleepiness, memory lapses and the inability to concentrate are some of the many problems symptomatic of apnea sufferers. There is medical help available and often a family doctor will send a sufferer to a sleep center for diagnosis. Under all circumstances where apnea is diagnosed, a medical cure should be sought to prevent excessive high blood pressure and possible heart attack.

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