Weight Gain and Snoring Often Go Hand in Hand

Of all the problems that one needs to consider when thinking about those pounds that seem to keep creeping on year after year, the connection between weight gain and snoring is just one more than cannot be denied. But why would a few extra pounds cause a person to snore? What is it about added pounds that can mean a connection between weight gain and snoring?

There are a few things to consider here. One being that a person is not always aware of excess body fat around the neck and throat area even if they are overweight. You don't need a neck the size of your leg to have too much fat in this area! This connection between weight gain and snoring happens when that added weight closes or collapses the airways in the throat which can cause not only snoring but other sounds such as gasping, wheezing, choking, snorting, and noises that we usually call snoring even though technically they're not. This is probably the most common connection between weight gain and snoring and is not always easily fixed. You can use a body pillow to put behind you and prop yourself up so that you sleep on your side; this keeps those airways more open than if you sleep on your back. Some have also found it helpful to put something under the feet of their bed so that they're slightly elevated at their own feet; this keeps the mouth from dropping open and forces a person to keep breathing through their nose. While this isn't always a permanent solution to the problem of weight gain and snoring it can help someone that always sleeps on their back.

The other common connection between weight gain and snoring has to do with the damage that one does to their respiratory system overall with added weight. The body is simply not meant to carry a lot of additional pounds and this body fat can collect around the area of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory system, making breathing of any type that much more difficult. It's not unusual for those that are seriously overweight to have asthma and other respiratory problems. This could be one of the most dangerous connections between weight gain and snoring as being unable to breathe freely can mean damage to every cell in the body if left unchecked.