Does a Flat Nose Cause Snoring, and Can Rhinoplasty Help?
Is snoring really caused by ‘a flat nose that makes breathing difficult’, or is that just a misunderstanding?
Snoring is common and affects the sleep quality of both you and the people around you. In some cases it is severe enough to be sleep apnoea, which carries a risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
What Is a Flat Nose?
A flat nose is a nose with a low nasal bridge that does not stand out.
Features of a Flat Nose
- a low, flat nasal bridge that is level with the face
- a wide root of the nose where it meets the forehead
- wide alae, with large nostrils and alae
- a blunt nasal tip that is not pointed and may be rounded
What Causes a Flat Nose?
- a bone structure that differs from that of Western people, due to genetics linked to ethnic background
- adaptation to climate, as a flat nose and wide alae help release heat, suiting the hot, humid climate of Southeast Asia
To find out whether a flat nose affects breathing, the surgeon first diagnoses the internal structure, such as whether the bone is deviated, what the tissue in the nasal cavity is like, whether the nasal valve is narrow enough to block the airway, and how easily air can flow through the nasal cavity.
The shape of the nose, whether flat or high, does not affect snoring or how freely air flows through the airway.
Snoring can be caused by the plate of cartilage and bone that divides the nasal cavity into 2 sides (the septum). If it is crooked, breathing is difficult, which contributes to snoring. This has nothing to do with whether the nose is flat or high.
What Causes Snoring?
During sleep, the muscles relax, including the muscles in the throat and tongue. The tongue and soft tissue sag and partly block the airway, so air flows through a narrower space, making the soft tissue vibrate and causing the sound of snoring.
Causes of Snoring
- the structure of the throat and mouth, such as a long, large uvula, enlarged tonsils, a sagging soft palate, a large tongue that falls backwards, or a small or receding jaw
- obesity and being overweight, as a BMI over 30 carries a high risk
- age and sex, as men snore 2 times as often as women (because their throat muscles are weaker), and muscles become looser with age
- sleeping position, as sleeping on your back lets the tongue and tissue fall backwards easily, raising the risk of snoring, while sleeping on your side stops the tongue sagging as much, so you snore less
- drinking alcohol and smoking, as alcohol relaxes the muscles too much and smoking inflames and swells the lining of the throat
- some medicines, such as sleeping pills, muscle relaxants and antihistamines
- an abnormal nose structure, such as:
- a deviated bone that makes breathing through the nose difficult, so you breathe through your mouth instead, which makes snoring worse
- chronic sinusitis and a blocked nose, which force you to breathe through your mouth
- a growth in the nose that blocks the airway
Can Rhinoplasty Help With Snoring?
Rhinoplasty reshapes the nose for appearance and is not designed to treat snoring. In short:
- rhinoplasty = raising the nasal bridge, reshaping the nasal tip and making the alae smaller
- snoring = a problem with the throat, soft tissue, uvula and tongue
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Flat Nose Really Cause Snoring?
A flat nose is only an outer shape and does not affect snoring. The causes of snoring are the structure of the throat (a long uvula, enlarged tonsils, a large tongue), obesity and other factors, not the height or flatness of the nasal bridge.
People with a high nose can snore too, and people with a flat nose do not necessarily snore.
Can Rhinoplasty Really Treat Snoring?
Standard rhinoplasty is done for appearance and is not designed to treat snoring, because it does not address the cause. But if snoring is caused by a crooked nose structure, surgery to correct the nose structure together with rhinoplasty can help you breathe through your nose more easily, which may reduce snoring.
What Should I Do If I Have Difficulty Breathing After Rhinoplasty?
See a doctor straight away to find the cause, such as a collapsed nasal valve from too much bone or cartilage being removed, a nasal tip that is pinched too much, a narrow airway, internal scar tissue blocking the airway, or the bone becoming deviated after surgery (which is rare).
Do not let snoring harm your health. Treat it the right way and have a consultation with an experienced doctor.
