Breathing problems like heavy snoring

Dear Ask The Doctor: I had my tonsils removed as a child and my adenoids moved back and im still heavily snoring What could be causing this? Its really embarrassing and keeping my partner awake .I am now 35 yrs old and it hasn't ever improved.

Dear Rosemary: There are numerous explanations for snoring. Enlarged tonsils are obviously not the cause in your case since they removed in childhood. Below are some other possibilities:

• Use of relaxants before going to sleep such as alcohol or drugs relaxing throat muscles
• Excess fat around the throat
• Abnormal sleep positions
• Excess fatigue
• Nasal Congestion

Occasionally , snoring may be part of a more serious problem such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition in which the air entry into the  lungs is reduced due to narrowing of the airways during sleep. This may lead to daytime fatigue which can be detrimental.

You are best served by seeing an ENT specialist for a complete evaluation.