Filed under: Disease
You probably know at least one person who snores. It could be your partner, parents, grandparents, or even YOU that snore at various noise levels. Some laugh and make jokes about it, but it can be a symptom of a serious disorder called obstructive sleep apnea. And if it is obstructive sleep apnea, then it is no laughing matter; that individual needs to get evaluated by a sleep specialist.
What is snoring?
Snoring is a noise produced when an individual breathes (usually produced when inhaling) during sleep, which in turn causes vibration of the soft palate and uvula (that thing that hangs down in the back of the throat). An estimated 45% of normal adults snore at least occasionally and 25% do so habitually, according the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Problem snoring is more common in men and in people who are overweight. And snoring usually gets worse with advancing age.
The word “apnea” means the absence of breathing. Unfortunately, men are hit with more bouts of disruptive snoring than women. Sorry guys, but even if you don’t think you snore, you probably do.
Treatment for snoring
The most important point to make about the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), or Snoring Syndrome, is that effective treatment requires several related problems to be treated simultaneously.
6 Factors That Can Cause Snoring
1.Lifestyle factors
In some studies is growing concern is in, many cases of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring may be related to Western culture. The risk of increased obstructive sleep apnea grows with the many factors described below, many of which are problems currently rampant in our society. Correction of OSA generally requires that these factors be eliminated. At times, elimination of these factors completely resolves the problem.
2. Weight
Excessive weight brought about by a sedentary lifestyle, too many rich foods, or by medically related situations such as thyroid problems, is probably the leading factor contributing to OSA. Bed partners almost invariably make the observation that the larger their snoring spouse becomes, the louder the snoring sounds, and the more often they hear snoring pauses followed by snorts, and a continuation of breathing (i.e., apneas — episodes of obstructed breathing). Conversely, in a large percentage of patients, weight loss down to an ideal weight has reversed the process.
3. Smoking
Smoking has numerous undesirable effects on the body. Most pertinent to OSA are the obstructions to the airway which cigarette smoking causes: swelling of the mucous membrane in the nose, swelling of the tissue in the throat, and blockage of the small vessels in the lungs. Therefore, add this to another list of reasons why you should stop this nasty habit.
4. Alcohol
It is the partial collapse of the airway (breathing tube between nose, mouth and lungs) that is the immediate cause of snoring, and its complete collapse that is the immediate cause of apnea. Alcohol causes too great a relaxation of the airway during sleep. This, and other effects of alcohol on the body, means that it can either cause or greatly contribute to the development of loud snoring and apnea.
5. Organization of sleep
There are two periods of sleep which, given the right circumstances, are especially vulnerable to the development of unstable breathing. These are Stage 1 sleep, which should only occur when a person is first falling asleep but can occur many times during the night if sleep is poor; and REM sleep, which is the time when dreaming most frequently occurs.
If a person has very unbalanced sleeping habits during the week, it can result in the development of very significant respiratory instability during sleep. It’s that simple: unstable sleeping patterns lead to unstable breathing. Therefore, all you need to do is regulate your sleep by getting at least 7.5 hours of it per night. Sometimes, this is all that is required.
6. Medical problems
Anything that can lead to a blockage of the nose, throat, or lungs potentially plays a role in the development of OSA.
Pertinent nasal problems include allergies to air-borne particles such as animal dander, and dryness of the nose because of a wood-burning stove. Factors that can block the throat include large tonsils, large adenoids, excessive amounts of fatty tissue, and at times, the enlargement of some of the complex tissue at the back of the throat. In these cases, surgery can help by removing unwanted or excess tissue.
Snoring can also be a symptom of diabetes or hypothyroidism. Therefore, sometimes the best treatment for snoring and apnea is to go to the source of the problem and treat the medical problem itself.
Lifestyle before surgery
On a final note, if you are an excessive snorer, and constantly get complaints from friends and loved ones, look at your lifestyle very carefully first. Try changing some bad habits to good ones, and exercise more. As long as your doctor determines that your snoring is not stemming from apnea (a disorder where the snorer stops breathing for seconds.
Here are some natural snoring suggested tips for alleviating your predicament:
Sew an object (i.e., a tennis ball) into the pajama top near the small of your back in order to make it uncomfortable to sleep on your back. For at least two to three hours before bedtime, don’t drink alcohol or take sleeping pills, antihistamines, or tranquilizers. They depress the central nervous system and make your tongue floppy and throat muscles loose.
Add some humidity to your bedroom. A dry throat tends to vibrate more than one that’s moist. Try putting a container of water near your radiator. Use extra pillows to raise your head and align your airway. Try not to eat dairy products before bedtime because some people notice a build-up of mucus that can interfere with breathing. Try taking honey (chew honeycomb or swallow a couple of spoonfuls of liquid) daily for a few weeks. Have someone you sleep with, or your roommate, roll you over onto your side when you start to snore. If after all this, you still snore excessively, then I suggest you go see a physician or a nose, ear and throat specialist. Always make surgery your last resort. Even though proven to be safe, surgery can still do damage to your pockets, when all you needed to do was quit smoking or join a gym.
Here are more health hints…
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About the AuthorRobert is a health information marketer and writer.Get more health
information for men at http://todays-man-health-advocate.com