Snoring can make you embarrass in front of your partner and ruin your relationship with your partner along with your sleep cycle. Snoring might be experienced occasionally but sometimes it is commonly experienced by people. Snoring occurs when you are unable to pass air freely from the nose and throat while asleep. Snoring results in the vibration of the tissues leading to snoring sounds. The nasal or the throat tissue becomes more floppy and causes vibration in such patients. Certain people might have tongue abnormally positioned during their normal breathing patterns. Snoring can affect your breathing pattern but it can also affect the sleep cycle making you tired and fatigued during the daytime. It makes you feel irritated and enhances health issues. Snoring can be easily treated with effective solutions rather than sleep in different bedrooms other than your partner.
There are different reasons for snoring which includes being middle-aged where your throat becomes narrow, with decreased muscle tone. Other causes include deposition of fatty tissues where you are obese and have excess muscle tissues around the neck and throat leading to snoring. Men have air passages that are quite narrow, narrow throat, enlarged adenoids and cleft palate which contribute towards snoring. Stuffy nose and blocked airways can lead to sinus or nasal problems leading to snoring. Quit certain medications, smoking or alcohol which can also enhance snoring. Sleep posture also matters a lot due to which it is essential to place your head slightly raised as lying down flat on your back can relax your throat muscles and block the passageway. Snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea which is a sleep disorder leading to interrupted breathing patterns. Different snoring types indicate different issues like closed mouth snoring, open moth snoring, snoring in back sleeping posture or all sleeping positions.
Snoring can be managed with self-help strategies like anti-snoring devices which prevents snoring through moving your tongue and lower jaw in forwarding direction. Change sleep positions like elevating the head to around 4-5 inches which helps in easy breathing with tongue and jaw protruded forward. Certain anti-snoring pillows keep your head slightly elevated and prevents snoring. Try sleeping on the side rather than the back which prevents you from snoring. If you are suffering from the stuffy nose then rinse the sinuses with normal saline before going to bed. You can also use nasal decongestants, neti pot and nasal strips which help in smooth breathing patterns with the uninterrupted sleep cycle. Dry air can make your throat and air dried out so it is better to keep your surrounding air moist and place a humidifier in your room. You can also adopt healthy lifestyle changes like losing weight, performing the exercise, quitting smoking, alcohol, sedatives or sleeping pills. Reducing the fatty tissues around your airway helps in breathing and prevents snoring. Smoking can irritate the membrane of the throat and the nose which leads to blockage of the airways and ultimately snoring. Sleeping pills, sedatives, and alcohol consumption can relax the throat muscles and interrupt your breathing pattern which is why it is advised to quit all these bad lifestyle choices. Eat mindfully before going to bed and eat small meals.
If you re unable to prevent snoring, you can consult your healthcare professional and opt for the medical treatment options for relieving snoring. The medical devices or surgical procedures for relieving snoring include continuous positive airway pressure, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, palatal implants, somnoplasty, custom-fitted jaw positioners or dental devices, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, thermal ablation therapy, and others.
Try these self-help strategies and medical treatment and get rid of snoring without negatively affecting your relations, your mental as well as physical health.
Until Next Time,
Team Doctor ASKY!