Tuesday, April 27, 2010

How to Quit Snoring - Preventing Snoring May Be Simpler than You Think

Snorers and their family members--especially their bed partners--are no doubt interested in how to quit snoring. While snoring can be an indicator of grave underlying health problems, most of the time it is no more than a nuisance to the snorer and those trying to sleep nearby. But the severity of that nuisance can range from mildly annoying to utterly and insanely exasperating. And most of the time, stopping snoring or preventing snoring can be accomplished without surgery.

So, then, if better sleep is what you’re after, you might find it among the following stop snoring tips. Try these methods to cure snoring before resorting to surgery.

Try sleeping on your side. Sleeping on your back will allow your tongue to fall back into your throat. When this happens, the airway narrows partially obstructing the flow of air when you breath. And then the vibrations resulting in the night-time noise we call snoring begin. It’s sort of like what happens when stretch and narrow the open mouth of an inflated balloon.

Avoid alcohol near bedtime. You probably shouldn’t drink alcohol (in moderation of course) any less than 4 hours before going to bed. The reason for this is that alcohol depresses your central nervous system, which causes your muscles to relax, sometimes excessively. And this includes the muscles and tissues in your throat. When this happens, the airways narrow, as you breathe vibrations are set, and then you have . . . snoring.

If you happen to be overweight, try losing some weight. Being overweight (and this doesn’t mean you have to be actually obese) is a common cause of snoring. What happens is that when you carry this extra weight, you have more and looser tissues in your throat, which narrow your airways. And because your airways are narrowed, vibrations are more likely to occur when you sleep. And so you snore.

Try using nasal strips. These nasal strips are adhesive strips that you apply crosswise on the lower portion of your nose. The strips are rather stiff and springy, so they tend to hold your nose open slightly more than it would be normally. The idea is that with the area of your nasal passage increased, you won’t have the constricted airway that is a prerequisite for snoring.

If you have any nasal congestion, make sure you treat it. Allergies can cause the tissues in your nose and throat to swell considerably. And this forces you to breathe through your mouth, which is almost always a certain recipe for snoring. It may be, then, that the solution to your snoring problem is as simple as using a decongestant or nasal spray. (But don’t use these products for an extended period without consulting your doctor.)

If you’ve been wondering--because you yourself are a snorer or because you have to sleep with or near a snorer--how to quit snoring, maybe you’ve found the answer in the 5 tips above. If you didn’t, then you need to seek out further information about quitting snoring. Just remember that surgery should be an absolute last resort.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Preventing Snoring Can Be as Simple as Changing Your Sleeping and Breathing Patterns

The key to solving any problem is figuring out exactly what is causing the problem. The problem of chronic snoring is no different. Knowing what causes snoring can help you find relief and better sleep and better nocturnal breathing, which ultimately means better health. And getting rid of that annoying night-time noise will allow your family members--especially the person you sleep with--to get better sleep as well.

Like most other conditions, snoring can often be prevented. So it’s best to identify and deal with the problem early on. If you are close to becoming a snorer yourself or if you know someone who shows signs of developing this condition, you should probably read on and implement some of these suggestions.

Snoring occurs when collapsible parts of the throat meet. Then, during breathing, when air passes into the throat, vibrations are produced that create the noise we call snoring. And why this condition occurs at night is not a mystery.

While it is true that we breathe 24 hours a day, we snore only when our body is totally relaxed. Thus, it is often advised that snorers try to maintain a somewhat tensed sleeping position until they reach a state of deep sleep when their body is totally relaxed.

If this doesn‘t seem practicable, you can try to prevent snoring by learning to sleep on your side. When you do this, it tends to widen the passage through which air passes during breathing. This passage is more closed off--thus creating a better environment to set up the vibrations of snoring--when you sleep on your back because your head falls back. Additionally, your lower jaw is encouraged to fall open, creating a space where the tongue can drop back. When this occurs, the normal air passage will be obstructed by these bodily components.

We all know that when a passage narrows, the pressure of whatever flows through it will increase. (Think of the sprayer you use on your garden hose.) This is exactly what occurs in your throat. Consequently, because different people experience different levels of throat obstruction, some people snore, some people don‘t, and snores come in different intensities and pitches.

Obesity is known to induce snoring. This is due to the fact that heavier people are more likely to have extra (and often unnecessary) tissues in the nose and throat area. The neck of an overweight person is known to have more muscles and adipose tissues that hamper normal breathing. And, again, this provides a perfect situation for the vibrations that we call snoring.

Thus, to prevent the possibility of producing night-time respiratory vibration, you should avoid gaining too much weight. You will avoid other health issues down the road, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. And you will assure yourself and your partner of better sleep.

Some people just naturally breathe through their mouths. Besides not being the healthiest way to breathe, mouth breathing can also increase the likelihood of snoring. Initially, it may feel awkward trying to switch to nasal breathing, but in time you’ll learn to breathe naturally through your nose while sleeping. In the end, you’ll be thankful that you invested the time and effort to eliminate the snore-inducing mouth breathing.

If you’ve noticed, many of the suggestions and advice concerning preventing snoring involve lifestyle changes. This is because snoring doesn't always stem from biological causes.

Sometimes the cause of snoring can be nasal deformities or extra large adenoids and tonsils. Most of the time, though, quitting snoring is as simple as changing your sleeping or breathing habits or just losing a little weight. And if these things don’t work, then you might try one of the many stop snoring devices on the market.

Good luck and good sleeping!

Friday, April 9, 2010

How to Prevent Snoring - Try Stop Snoring Devices and Stop Snoring Techniques First and Use Surgery as a Last Resort

Snoring is the result of vibrations in the upper airways, the throat, the mouth, and the nose. Due to blockages, turbulence is caused during respiration. Snoring occurs when we sleep because the muscles relax, which encourages the collapse of these tissues, providing the environment for vibration--snoring.

Snoring can basically originate anywhere from the nose down to the vocal chords. Recently, researchers have found that the tongue plays certain roles in causing and aggravating snoring.

Snoring is involuntary, so there's no use in trying to control it through sheer force of will. However, it can be controlled by means of various devices and techniques, for example, a snore pillow or special chin strap.

When snoring becomes too difficult for a commonly applied method to handle, it might be a good idea to check on surgical methods to deal with it. There are various surgical procedures to correct this sleeping problem.

An evaluation of the physiological factors by an otolaryngologist is the first step. Otolaryngologists are the specialists in problems directly related with the throat, mouth, and the nose.

A common surgical procedure to cure snoring is the Tongue Suspension Procedure or Repose. This works by inserting a small screw under the tongue into the jaw. This way, the tongue will be prevented from falling back during sleep. But this is a pretty extreme measure, so look at alternatives first.

For snorers whose main cause of snoring is the nose, nasal surgery is most likely to be the solution. While it is considered, in general, as a cosmetic type of surgery, few can deny that it actually works for problematic snoring.

This method is also used for patients suffering from a deviated nasal septum. This procedure not only helps the snorer during his sleep, but can also add comfort in breathing during the day.

The LAUP or Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty is the advanced modification of the traditional treatment called Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP. This procedure works by cutting the uvula (which is the dangling part that most often causes the obstruction of the air passage), located at the rear part of the roof of the mouth.

Radio Frequency Tissue Ablation, also known as Samnoplasty, is a relatively new technique approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This also basically removes parts of the uvula.

While there is not much data published on Coblation-Channeling, this method employs the principle of removing by means of radio frequency any tissue that obstructs the air passage. In some cases, tissues are fully removed when the need arises.

Surgery as treatment for snoring must be taken as a last resort when everything else has failed. Before diving into surgery, make sure that you have determined the actual causes of your condition. And try everything else first.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tips to Stop Snoring

Snoring is not a sign of a good, deep sleep. It may be cute in the first few minutes, but after a while, it starts to sound as if your bedroom is a construction site. And this is annoying. If you have been snoring for some time and your whole family cannot sleep, then you have to act now. Try these tips to put an end to their misery.

Stop drinking and smoking. These two can cause you to snore and wake up the whole block. The reason? Alcohol causes a partial collapse of your airways that can immediately cause the snoring to start. Smoking, on the other hand, causes blockage of the small vessels of the lungs and swelling of the tissue in the throat and mucus membrane in the nose. Smoking can result in sleep apnea. Take note that if you stop drinking and smoking, you are eliminating other health risks as well.

Sleep regularly. Sleeping for few hours each night can cause snoring. Why? Unbalanced sleep patterns develop into respiratory instability. So, you need to regulate your sleeping patterns. Set a specific time for sleeping. Wake up in the morning at the same time every day. Usually, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is all you need.

Use anti-snoring devices. There are many of these on the market. You can get homeopathic throat sprays and tablets, special pillows, or nasal strips and dilators. These devices help your air passages to relax and take in and out the right amount of air needed for a silent sleep.

Cure nasal congestion and allergies. If there is inflammation of your of adenoids and/or tonsils, caused by nasal congestion (cold) or allergies, you have to take a decongestant or antibiotics. It's simple: treat nasal congestion or allergies, and you will stop snoring.

Find a better sleeping position. Some people find it relaxing to sleep on their back while others are comfortable sleeping on their side. However, if the position you are comfortable sleeping in causes you to snore, better find another one. Sometimes, all you need to do is to change your sleeping position to open your airways and stop snoring.

Lose some weight. Even slight obesity can cause several health risks, and, of course, it causes that loud noise you create while asleep. Lose some weight by getting regular exercise, eating the right diet, and living a healthy lifestyle.

Steer away from snore-triggers. If you are taking sleeping pills and products that contain antihistamines, then you are most likely a snorer. These are sedating medicines that relax the muscles and nerves. As a result, the muscle tissues of the throat relax and collapse. This triggers snoring just like the effect of cigarette smoking.

Consult a doctor. Mild snorers can easily be cured. But there are cases in which snoring is a sign of other serious medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism or diabetes, that require surgical procedures. If you have been snoring for some time, this is the right time to consult a doctor.