Snoring - Get It Sorted
Treatments are becoming more inventive and effective.
For instance, Snoreeze, a throat spray that reduces vibrations at the back of the throat, stopped or significantly lessened snoring noise in 93% of the cases in independent, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.
50% of partners reported that snoring was eliminated all together.
These sprays gently lubricate the area at the back of the throat prone to vibrations.
Avoiding allergenic dairy products that cause mucus build-up that can precipitate heavy phlegm reactions is advised.
Mouthguards made up of synthetic and transparent material could also work, although they can cause intermittent waking and sleeping.
Left untreated, snoring will become a medical problem, and you must come up with a way to stop snoring if you a) disturb your partner b) have to jump up and catch your breath c) your sleep is compromised, inhibited, or lessened noticeably.
It is a factor in low oxygen uptake which can cause daytime slumber, slower reaction time, and fuzzy thinking.
The American Academy of Otolaryngology says that 25% of people snore habitually, and 45% do so just occasionally, even though it's not a health or medical problem.
Home remedies recommend losing 10% of your body weight, quitting smoking, switching to a side position instead of a back position, and avoiding alcohol and sedatives before sleep.
There are some surgeries like uvulopalatopharyngoplasty that removes excess tissue in the throat, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty that accomplishes the same with a simple laser, radiofrequency palatoplasty that employs an electrical current to retract, shrink, stiffen the back part of the roof of the mouth, and tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy that can reduce enlarged tonsils that block your airways.
It's critical that a doctor makes the distinction from simple snoring and the more serious sleep apnea that can prohibit air intake when you're asleep.
Nasal decongestants for allergic symptoms and nasal strips to improve air flow, but Snoreeze actually reduces the vibrations once they reach the back of the throat.
Call a health professional if you or your spouse reports heavy, loud snoring, gasping for breath, or choking during sleep.
Since snoring is not always a medical problem, insurance might not cover it.
Some factors that can predispose a person to snoring include male gender, being middle-aged, weight gain and obesity, heredity - as snoring runs in families, nasal congestion from chronic colds, allergies, and sinus infections, and, last of all, a small chin or overbite contributing to abnormal jaw look.
When you snore, the air flow from mouth and/or nose vibrates the tissues in the airways on its way to the lungs.
Snoring doesn't start when you're awake because the flexed muscles in the back of your mouth hold the tissues in place, and, when you're sleeping, these muscles relax considerably.
The tissues then collapse and cause snoring with repeated vibrations of air.
Studies show a strong link between the severity of snoring and daytime sleepiness.