Snoring: Facts and Information

Snoring is an extremely common health difficulty.The snoring sound occurs because of loud breathing through the mouth and nose while a person is asleep.Snoring happens as a result of the vibration of soft tissues that line the air passages.  As the air passages are blocked, this causes noise.

With snoring being a main concern for a large number of people it is also a challenge as they find a solution to put an end to it. The number of people affected by snoring worldwide is huge, about 700 million, but that doesn’t include the partners of people who are also affected. It often (unfortunately), goes uninvestigated and undiagnosed or gets treated as a minor situation.

Some sufferers may in fact be unaware that they could be causing more harm to their health by not seeking treatment and finding ways to stop snoring.This could be very relevant if ones’ snoring is associated with sleep aponea a serious and potentially life threatening concern.

Snoring is more widespread in men due to lifestyle, smoking, drinking, weight and lack of exercise. Some studies found that 34% of men are habitual snorers, with up to 50% reporting the symptoms of snoring.

Causes of Snoring

There are many causes of snoring, all resulting in the same thing, a restless night.But if you can indentify the reason you have a much higher chance of stopping the problem and finding a permanent solution to stop snoring.Snoring can result from anything that causes restricted air flow to the nasal passages.

Five of the most widespread reasons for snoring include: Being overweight, blocked nasal passages, drinking too much alcohol, the use of antihistaimines and sleeping pills and sleeping on your back.

A deviated septum which is when the cartilage that separates the two sides of the nasal cavity leans   more to the right or left resulting in obstruction of the nasal passage, can also cause snoring. In children, snoring is often caused by enlarged tonsils and adenoids.

Sometimes snoring might be the result of something more concerning therefore you should consult with your health professional to investigate other possible causes.

How to Stop Snoring

Ways to stop snoring are countless and varied.   What works for one person will not work for another but it is worth pursuing to give yourself and your partner a better nights sleep.

There are a number of stop snoring treatments available such as medicine and surgery, dental implants and over the counter remedies.Irrespective of the treatment you select, safety shoulld be your first concern.

• Lead a healthy lifestyle.Get active and eat healthier.
• Before going to bed ensure your nose is clear.Nasal strips, decongestants and breathing steam can be beneficial.
• Try not to sleep on your back but rather on your side.  Sleeping on your back can allow the lower jaw to drop which results in snoring
• Reduce your Alcohol intake.  Too much Alcohol can irritate the nasal airways.In addition it acts as a sedative which results in the muscles possibly relaxing more than normal.
• Lose weight.For people who are overweight the flow of air gets restricted because of the amount of fat around the face and throat and therefore this will vibrate more during sleep.
• Stop Smoking.   Apart from affecting every part of the respiratory system the throat is weakened and gets obstructed with phlegm.

Stop Snoring Devices

There are many stop snoring devices on the market which work in different ways.These vary from being very basic to more detailed and concentrate on opening up the nasal airways.

A few of the devices available are snore pillows, snore balls, nasal strips, nasal separators, throat sprays and pills.  Many of these devices are available from your pharmacy.

Other stop snoring devices, like mouth pieces which keep the jaw aligned and prevent the tongue from blocking the windpipe are inserted into the oral cavity and aid in keeping   the air passages open as you sleep.

Although a lot of relief can be achieved by using snoring devices it is good to note that no anti snoring device will be 100% sucessfull all of the time.