Snoring is a problem not only for the snorer-but bedmates too. Tips on causes and prevention.
Why do people snore?Snoring is the disrupted flow of air from your nose and throat to your lungs.A clogged nose or the base of your tongue may impede the safe passage, but most often it's the soft tissue in your upper palate or throat that hinders the process and causes an audible vibrating sensation.Snoring can be caused by conditions that interfere with the normal breathing such as a cold or allergies.Smoking clogs the lungs and can lead to snoring as well.Other factors that promote snoring are enlarged tonsils, a large uvula, malformations in the nasal pathway, and excess body weight.Sleeping on your back fosters this noisy sleeping behavior too, since it is in this position that your lower jaw is more apt to drop open.
Since sleeping on your back can cause you to snore you must break yourself of the habit. If you do not have a bedmate to roll you over simply sew a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas near the small of your back.This will make sleeping on your back uncomfortable and may teach you to sleep in a more breathing friendly position.
The addition of humidity to your bedroom may ameliorate the situation.Dry throats tend to vibrate more than those that are moist.Humidifiers or simply a glass of water near a radiator will increase humidity effectively.Sometimes snoring is caused by an unaligned airway.Use extra pillows to raise your head, so that the pathway from your nose to lungs straightens out.
Alcohol, tranquilizers, antihistamines, and sleeping pills have been linked to snoring because they depress the central nervous system and make your tongue and throat muscles overly-loose.Avoid ingesting any of these three to four hours prior to sleep.Also avoid dairy products before you go to bed since these significantly increase the amount mucous build-up in your throat.If you are a sweet-addict instead of eating a bowl of ice cream in bed try a few spoonfuls of honey.This will not only prevent a mucous blockade, but has been linked to preventing snoring.
Those extra pounds on your body can cause snoring as well.Many people find that losing several pounds stops the problem all together.Lastly, you should always clear your nose before you go to bed to expunge any and all mucous that is residing in the passageway. If these methods do not work you might want to try using a mandibular advancement device that you affix to the bridge of your nose.Many people have found these to instantly solve the problem.You can purchase these devices at a pharmacy.
If you have tried all these methods and still find yourself snoring there is one more option""surgery.The surgery entails the removal of the soft palate, any residual tonsils, and the tightening of the walls of the throat.It is a very painful operation and can lead to difficulty swallowing or subtle changes in the voice.Surgery is performed only in serious cases usually because of its known side-effects.
While snoring is merely an inconvenience for most and is not a serious health risk, there are some cases where snoring stems from apnea.Apnea is a disorder where the snorer stops breathing for seconds or minutes at a time.This can be very serious since it depletes the oxygen in the blood and brain.It should be a concern you discuss with your doctor.
