Stop Snoring Solutions- Both Natural & Medicinal!!
June 13, 2008
Snoring can often cause the person or those immediately around him to have disturbed sleep that, if unchecked, can cause other serious consequences. Snoring is the result of blocked flow of air through the passage towards the rear of the mouth and nose. Snoring results when the
structures within the mouth collide with one another and vibrate when a person breathes.
Snoring, which was once something that many people laughed at, is now a serious matter that could not just strain relationships, but can also be a precursor to other life threatening conditions such as sleep Apnea. If all else fails, you may need to undergo surgery, which is certainly a last option but with the advances in this type of treatment taking place, they provide yet another excellent solution to stop snoring.
Self-cures for snoring
Mild snoring that isn’t related to sleep Apnea responds well to home remedies. Finding a cure for your snoring problem can result in an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones. Try some of the self-help tips below to prevent or alleviate your snoring.
· Lose weight, stop smoking
Losing weight will reduce the fatty tissue in your airway. Eating less and improving your fitness level can significantly improve your ability to breathe freely when you sleep. Stopping smoking or reducing exposure to second-hand smoke can help with the noise and intensity of your snoring.
· Improve your sleep posture
Do you sleep on your back? If so, you are probably exacerbating your snoring problem - in this sleeping position, the soft tissues in the back of your throat (including your tongue) are more prone to slide backwards, blocking your airway. If you are a mild snorer, switching to sleeping on your side might cure your snoring altogether.
· Elevate your head
Try sleeping without a pillow; pillows can block your airway by bending your neck. You can also use a specially-designed pillow for snorers, available online or at specialty stores. An even better solution is to elevate the head of your bed four inches, which may make breathing easier and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. Elevating the entire head of the bed is better than using a pillow, which can crimp the neck and contribute to snoring. Placing rolled up towels under the head of the mattress is an easy way to change the angle of the mattress.
· Avoid certain foods, alcohol, and sedatives before bed
If you tend to drink alcohol at night, try to cut back. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant; it will relax the muscles in your airways, which can worsen snoring. Likewise, you may be taking sleeping pills or tranquilizers to help you sleep, but be aware - these sedatives also relax your muscles.
Avoid high-fat dairy milk products or soy milk products before sleeping. Non-skim milk products and soy milk products, because of their thickness, can keep mucus from draining properly. The result is mucus retained in the throat, which can lead to snoring.
· Clear your nasal passages
Having a stuffy nose makes inhalation difficult, which in turn creates a vacuum in your throat, and noisy breathing. In fact, people who seldom snore often find themselves snoring quite loudly when suffering from allergies or a cold.
Nasal decongestants can help you breathe more easily through your nose while sleeping. There are also homeopathic solutions available, like nasal strips that claim to “open” the nasal passages. On the other hand, you should avoid antihistamines for allergies or stuffiness. Antihistamines relax the throat muscles, which can in turn cause snoring.
Medical cures and treatments for snoring
If your own efforts to stop snoring do not help, consult your physician or an otolaryngologist (ENT, or ear, nose, and throat doctor). If you choose to try a dental appliance for your snoring, you will need to see a dentist specializing in these devices.
· Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
To keep your airway open during sleep, a machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face
· Dental appliances, oral devices, and lower jaw petitioners
Dental devices, which often resemble the mouth guards worn by athletes, can help open your airway by bringing your lower jaw or your tongue forward during sleep.
· Surgery
Certain surgeries, including Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities. Using a scalpel, laser, or microwaving probe (radiofrequency energy), a surgeon may remove tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose, or reconstruct the jaw.
Summary:
Snoring is something that cannot be stopped at will, neither is it something that can be ‘cured’. It can however, be successfully controlled. Snoring is caused by a physical abnormality that needs to be identified before a control can be found. This is not as difficult as it seems and the good news is there is a control for everybody. Finding the cause is the key to finding a solution. In most instances snoring can be controlled by simple self-help remedies.
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