Can loud snoring ever not be sleep apnea?

[amayzin]

DH snores, but not consistently, just sometimes! I always fall asleep after he does so I notice it. He goes through patterns of snoring really loudly for maybe 10 minutes, which stops if I nudge him in this time. What doesn’t help is, he sleeps with his mouth open and always has done. He broke his nose playing sport as a teenager and thinks this is why as apparently breathing through mouth feels more natural.

He’s not overweight, doesn’t drink or smoke and doesn’t recall waking up in the night at any point at all. He’s not tired in the day and generally feels well rested

I’m worried it could be sleep apnea just cause it is really incredibly loud snoring! As I say, it’s not every night and not constantly but regular enough I’d say to be 3 or 4 nights a week. Normal or GP?

I'd say worth checking with the GP but doesn't sound like my DH who has sleep apnoea. DH snores loudly and then will come to a crescendo, then silence. After a few LONG seconds he will gasp for breath, sometimes wake, but then fall into the same snore pattern. When he was diagnosed, my knowledge of his sleep pattern was needed and gave a better picture than DH could give.

He’s not overweight, doesn’t drink or smoke and doesn’t recall waking up in the night at any point at all. He’s not tired in the day and generally feels well rested

My DH is the same as this and snores very loudly. He also breathes through his mouth. He was referred to an ENT specialist and they put a camera up his nose and he has some issue with (I don't know the medical term) the tubes up there being constantly inflamed and therefore narrow. The consultant did say that sometimes in cases like his the cause isn't inflammation but a bend in the septum (may not be the septum but I think it is) but in my DH's case it isn't that. But maybe if your DH broke his nose that's a possibility?
DH has been prescribed a steroid spray to squirt up his nose every day, essentially forever. I guess to try and manage the inflammation.

Worth seeing the GP, but I should say my DH was referred about 2 years ago, and had his appointment last month.

Yes my DH has like a slightly wonky septum or something. He was also prescribed long term course of steroid nasal spray but it made absolutely no difference to the snoring and he is prone to nose bleeds which were made significantly worse and more frequent. He is pretty overweight though and used to snore much less when he wasn't so overweight. He doesn't have sleep apnoea though we don't think (he is a HCP in primary care himself so would have a good idea of whether he would need referring or not and doesn't think he does).

It doesn't bother him at all but is very bothersome for me unfortunately as I'm such a light sleeper. I frequently wear ear plugs.