What Is Snoring?
Snoring
is Not Only Annoying
Snoring is not just something
people do, it is a symptom; snoring is a manifestation of damage that caused by
an underlying issue. Because snoring has been wrongly considered a part of
many, if not most people’s sleeping habits, the damage that causes people to
snore has gone unrecognized in most people, this is true even today.
What
is The Damage?
Sleep is the recuperative
process we must have in order to be healthy and sharp. Snoring is a disturbance
that can interrupt our sleep, causing us to wake up from trouble snoring
represents in our ability to breathe well, and even from the noise snoring can
generate. Snoring is just a problem the snoring person alone must deal with;
this is something that can affect anyone within earshot, especially a partner
sleeping in the same bed, or someone sharing the room. Another person snoring
can keep a person from getting truly restful sleep; this can be absolute
torture for a person who must share a bed or sleeping quarters with someone who
snores.
Noise is the least of the
problems snoring causes. In its ultimately damaging form, people die, not from
snoring, but Sleep Apnea. Snoring is just the audible manifestation of Sleep
Apnea, which is the term for when a person involuntarily stops breathing while
asleep. It is the Sleep Apnea is that causes a snorer to breath so heavily, not
to mention loudly. Sleep Apnea is what causes a person to wake up gasping, or
to adjust their sleeping position over and over throughout the night. A lack of
deep rest has a cumulative degenerative effect on a person, affecting their
mood, temperament, and ability to focus, concentrate and be a productive
individual.
How
Bad Can It Be?
Snoring is often depicted as
being cute, or humorous in the sense of how ridiculous a person’s snoring can
be, but let see how funny you think it would be if you were in that position.
If you have never had to sleep with a person who snores, consider this a
blessing in your life; now let us compare the often bombastic nature of a person’s
snore. The following examples should give you an idea of what so many people
must endure when trying to get a good night’s rest; each of these items
registers at least the number of decibels as the average person who snores:
ü A gas
powered lawn mower in use
ü A shop
vacuum in use
ü A
motorcycle in use
ü A low
flying airliner
ü A
chainsaw in use
ü All of
your kitchen appliances running at the same time
Snoring is a Constant Issue
The point to remember about
these examples is that you are subject to them for the entire time you are trying
to get rest; deep, uninterrupted, quality sleep. This is not blowing things out
of proportion, talk to anyone has slept with someone who snores what it is like
and you will get an earful, so be prepared to listen. Snoring is not like the
hiccups, it does not go away as suddenly as it appeared, snoring will be a
persistent issue until something is done about it, or the snorer dies in their
sleep.
Why
Are You Reading This?
If you are reading this
chances are either you, the person you spend your nights with or someone you
care about snores and it is driving one of you, if not both of you absolutely crazy.
Losing sleep is hugely detrimental. And it can make you feel a little crazy
when you are faced with a wall of noise that stands between you and the sleep
you so need and deserve, every night.
You are reading this because
you are looking for a solution. You don’t want to keep snoring, or you
definitely want your sleeping partner to stop snoring. Don’t get the impression
that this is a brochure for snore resolving surgery, it is not. This book
provides some very simple answers and solutions that can make all the
difference in the world; these solutions have not only eradicated snoring, but
are actually life savers. These non-surgical solutions can get back the sleep
you need as someone who snores, or as a person who sleeps with someone who
snores; either way the will be more sound sleep to go around.
Before proceeding, we need to
take the time to understand snoring at its most basic level; the physical components
involved in the process. Once we understand how snoring works we can delve
deeper into looking at its problematic nature. At this point we will study the
harmful process of snoring, the negative effects it has and what it represents
in the human body.
Once we understand what
snoring is and what it can mean, we can then proceed into how to remedy the
snoring dilemma. When it comes to solutions to biological processes,
understanding the surgical procedures first; in order to understand how and why
this option to snore resolution is a risky decision and in many cases does not
help at all.
By the end of all this
reading, you perception of snoring will be drastically changed; snoring will
not be funny or acceptable for you or anyone you care about.
Understanding
Snoring
Snoring is understood to be
any kind of resonant sound that emanates from breathing while sleeping. The
crux of the snore is where the mouth and nasal passages meet; this is the point
where breathing during sleep causes vibration; otherwise known as snoring. This
vibration is due to constricted breathing passages. As tight breathing passages
are responsible for snoring, it should also be understood that the more pinched
these passages are, the louder and more disruptive the snoring will be.
The reason snoring only occurs
while slumbering is because the body is in a prone position in a relaxed state.
The airway consists of tissues that operate in a similar method to muscles.
When a person sleeps, these tissues become somewhat flaccid; so when lying down
this tissue literally blocks the breathing passage causing the sleeper to
breath with difficulty, resulting in more forceful breathing which then equates
to snoring.
What
Factors into How Loud a Person Snores?
Every person is unique in
their composition and physical make up. This affects why some people snore at a
very loud volume. Included as part of snoring the tone and pitch; basically we
all have the same parts yet we all have our own uniquely identifiable voice,
this is true for snoring as well.
How loud an individual may
snore depends on the various factors involved in the process. Because there is
basically a flap of tissue closing off the airway we need to breathe, breathing
becomes more labored and aggressive to supply our lungs, body and brain with
oxygen; snoring is an audible sign that the body is fighting for air. This is
an issue that can affect just about anyone, even babies.
The smaller the passages
involved with breathing are during sleep, the more forceful the body will
become in an effort to get the air it needs, thusly the tissue blocking the airway
will vibrate in proportion to the force needed to get the vital oxygen our body
is being deprived of. This is how a snore becomes so loud.
Men
Snore the Most
Women have a natural defense
to snoring in the form of Progesterone. Granted, there are woman who snore just
a loud and violently as men, and even more so in some cases, but it is simply
not as common as it is with males. Progesterone is used as a form of therapy
for men who suffer from snoring.
Snoring:
Causes and Amplifiers
As we have already discussed, snoring is a symptom of something else. This symptom manifests in the form of a sound that comes from the inability to breathe easily during sleep. So what causes this trouble? The tissues involved with breathing are not the sole culprit for this bothersome problem. These factors are not gender specific; these are issues that affect men and women, although there are roughly twice as many male snorers as there are females who snore. Snoring factors have to do with our health and our lifestyle; these factors come in many combinations and include the following:
Allergies commonly affect breathing.
ü Allergy
medicines dehydrate the normally moist sinus passages.
ü Illness
such as a cold or influenza also cause labored breathing.
ü Tissue
scarring from surgery on the nasal passage.
ü General
thickness of tissues found within the sinuses.
ü Nasal
spray abuse agitates the sinuses and airway.
ü Snorting
controlled substances.
ü Oversized
tonsils and/or adenoids.
ü Goiter,
a swollen thyroid gland.
ü Oversized
tongue.
ü Obesity
results in thickness of the neck and soft tissues.
ü Oversized
stomach.
ü Consumption
of alcohol.
ü Smoking.
ü Ageing.
Some of these issues affect
men more than women, like excessive girth of the stomach region. This is
believed to part of the reason men in general experience more issue with
snoring than women.
Also, controlled substances;
prescribed, available over the counter, or illegal are associated with side
effects that lead to snoring such as drying the sinuses and relaxing the
tissues at the back of the throat and air passages.
We have looked over that snoring
is and broken down the physical process. We have also gone over the many issues
that can affect and cause snoring, so we must now look deeper in to the issue
to discover the truly deleterious effect snoring can have on a person’s
wellbeing.
What
is so bad about Snoring?
The whole concept of snoring
is somewhat subversive; this is where the largest danger with snoring lies, how
innocuous it is perceived by the majority of people. Snoring as word seems
harmless enough, and this is a problem. The connotation of the word does not
convey the true meaning of the action; when a person snores, their body is in a
state where it is being deprived of oxygen and must therefore breathe much
harder to force open the airway. Simply put snoring is a cry for help in the
dark that says “I am not breathing!”
Because of this common
perception of snoring, people become incredulous at the idea that snoring is a
serious problem gives rise to health risks and emotional issues. This portion
of the book addresses the severity of snoring and the many issues associated
with it. Most people are ignorant to the fact that snoring, although common, is
not normal, healthy or acceptable.
The
Physical Aspects of Snoring
What needs to happen for
people to understand what snoring truly represents is a change of perception; a
dynamic shift of what snoring means. The gravity of the dangers of snoring
cannot be stressed enough. What follows is an abridged list of physical health
issues that are related to snoring:
ü Sleep
apnea
ü Heart
Disease
ü Stroke
ü Headaches
ü Night
sweats
ü Heartburn
ü Swollen
limbs
ü Weakened
immune system
ü Loss
of hearing
Remember, this is only an
abridged list; there are many more physical issues that are part of snoring.
These issues are not exclusive to adults, and neither is snoring. Snoring is
encompasses all ages and genders making anyone susceptible to the many
dangerous effects snoring can have. Let’s take a closer look at one of the more
serious issues related to snoring.
Sleep
Apnea in Depth
Sleep Apnea is a silent killer
that strikes in the dark when a person is at their most vulnerable; when a
person is asleep. This alone should be enough to make anyone who snores, or
even cares about a person who snores to seek out some resolution; find some way
to provide relief when sleeping so as not to stop breathing altogether. The
term apnea is taken from the ancient Greek use of the word meaning: absence of
breathing. Sleep Apnea is merely a precursor to asphyxiation.
The correlation between
snoring and Sleep Apnea is direct: really snoring is just another word for
Sleep Apnea. If snoring is caused by tissue blocking the air passage; this is
an absence of breath. The sound associated with snoring is the vibration of the
obstructive tissue being vibrated by the body sensing this blockage and
breathing with a sense of urgency. Sleep Apnea is when breathing stops; snoring
is when the body forces itself to breath hard enough to open the blockage. The
correlation is simple.
Sleep Apnea does not have to
be fatal to have a negative effect on a person’s health. Breathing provides the
body with oxygen, it goes into the lungs and then into the bloodstream from
where the oxygen it taken to all parts of the body. Sleep Apnea translates to
not breathing; if we are not breathing, our body is starved of the oxygen it
needs to survive and operate to its full capacity. A lack of oxygen causes an
imbalance in the blood stream leading to an excess of carbon dioxide. Too much
Carbon dioxide in the body creates a toxic state that can result in brain
damage, heart disease or a stroke.
The
Emotional Aspects of Snoring
This should begin to expose
the vast area of problems that can arise due to snoring. A person who sleeps
with someone who snores, or maybe shares the same room, or shares a wall
between rooms, even so far as to be in the same building knows that trying to
get a full night of deep, restful sleep is an exercise in futility. There is a
lot of frustration involved with situations like these because the person
snoring may be unaware of it, or believe there is nothing that can be done for
it. Snoring can come with a costly emotional price tag; the following are few
examples of emotional disturbances resulting from snoring:
ü Loss
of sleep can cause depression or anxiety.
ü Break
up of relationships, including marriages.
ü Eviction
from dwelling for bothering tenants.
ü Clashing
living partners or neighbors due to sleep disruption.
ü Poor
performance at work leading to unemployment due to lack of sleep.
ü Short
term and long term memory issues from lack of sleep.
ü Lack
of compassion from those affected by snoring.
These are but a few of the
many emotional problems that are part and parcel of snoring. The effects of
snoring are very far reaching and destructive to those subject to them. Beneath
the surface of each of these emotional states are the mental states associated
to the person who snores and the person who has to deal with it. A few of the
emotional states caused from snoring follow:
ü Exhaustion
ü Frustration
ü Resentment
ü Anger
ü Helplessness
ü Anguish
ü Desperation
ü Low
self esteem
ü Confusion
It is not hard to see how lack
sleep can affect ones demeanor, especially if the loss of sleep is due to
someone else’s snoring. One can quickly lose empathy for a person who snores
when they are the on being kept up. So how can the snoring issue be solved?
There are different schools of thought and many approaches to alleviating
snoring which will be discussed shortly, but first the surgical approach will
be addressed and why it should not be the first choice.
Snoring
and Surgery
Living in the twenty first century affords wonderful advances in medicine and surgery. Snoring is something that has plagued mankind since time immemorial. A person who snores in this day and age does is lucky in the sense that the impact of snoring is really starting to be understood. Before taking any approach to stop snoring, take advantage of what the medical community has to offer; find out why you are snoring. Knowing the root cause behind a snore will help to point you in the right direction as to how to eliminate or mitigate the snore as much as possible. Available options for relief can include allergy medicine up to surgery, although surgery for snoring is rarely if ever the best choice.
Snoring
Does Not Equal Surgery
Surgery is often the
considered to be the ultimate remedy to many of life’s problems. This does not
always apply to snoring. In fact, the nature of surgery and snoring do not
really go too well together. Surgery should be considered as the very last
resort for several reasons. There are risks involved with any surgical process,
and in many cases these risks are outweighed by the benefits; but this is
usually the case where there are few if any other options to taking care of a
problem that is affecting a person’s health and wellbeing.
Snoring
Surgery
Surgery is an exploratory
process. The very nature of what surgery is seems somewhat counterproductive to
solving something like snoring, especially when there are other methods to
address the issue that are much less invasive and can be just as successful.
Surgery causes scarring, and because it is an exploratory process, there is no
way to know what a doctor is going to encounter until they are in the process
of cutting and opening up the patient. Surgery can often be the actual cause of
snoring after going through a procedure such as rhinoplasty.
The truth is that surgeries
performed in an effort to resolve issues with snoring have not always yielded
the desired result for a large percentage of people who have had it. Surgery
for snoring is not a common process, and is not as reliable as some surgical
procedures that are performed on a regular basis. Because snoring is the result
of tissue blocking the air passage, the surgical answer is to remove any excess
tissue that may be causing the blockage.
For certain people, this may
be a reasonable and acceptable answer to their snoring problem, but this is
most definitely not the case for the majority of people who snore. Keep in mind
that snoring is not always the source of the problem; snoring is more often, if
not most often a symptom of something else in the body. The cause of an individual’s
snoring issue is going to be unique and distinct to each person, therefore,
there is not one simple cure-all remedy to take care of every persons snoring
problem. The following page contains an example of the complexity involved with
snoring and how surgery does not always address the root cause.
An Example: From Snoring to
Insurance:
Let’s look at something simple
and non-medical: car insurance. Let’s take 20 people who are considered bad
drivers by their insurance companies. As a result of that dubious distinction,
all of these drivers are going to face a premium increase of $500 when they’re
insurance is renewed. Now, seen at a distance, it might appear as though all of
these drivers are in the same boat (or same car, as it were). And given that
assumption, a method to deal with this problem might be to simply give each of
these people an extra $500 in cash. Really, as strange as that sounds, this is
a way to solve this problem for each of these 20 drivers: they need to find
$500 more to pay their insurance premium, and hence, that is what this
so-called solution is going to do. Yet is this wise? No!
Some of those drivers –
probably more than a few of them – are not going to actually correct why they
might be classified as a “bad driver” by their insurance company. They simply
won’t know why they’re bad drivers, and hence, some of them will likely remain
a “bad driver”, and face higher insurance premiums next year – but this time
after a few more accidents or tickets. As you can easily see, the real cause of
the so-called “bad driving” isn’t solved when each person is given a nice gift
of $500 with which to pay his or her increased insurance premium. And since the
problem isn’t really solved, the bad driving can crop up again, and cause
financial problems and even worse, it can endanger health and safety. So when
people readily turn to trachea tissue-cutting surgery to cure their snoring,
they may quite easily be overlooking the real root cause of the snoring;
something that may be related to diet, sleep position, jaw or tongue
dysfunction, lifestyle, genetics, or be an indication of an even more serious
health problem; an indication that could be dangerously suppressed
(temporarily, at least), after a seemingly successful surgery. Going to surgery
as an easy, off-the cuff solution for snoring, is like giving these bad drivers
$500 in cash. It may seem to solve their problem, but for many, it will just be
a temporary fix; masking even deeper problems that can lead to severe
consequences down the road, including Sleep Apnea.
Reasons
to Deny Surgery for Snoring
Surgery is often prescribed as
the first and only solution to a person who has a problem with snoring. Surgery
in many cases, for different ailments, is considered as the first and only for
of treatment there might be. This is not so with snoring. Where surgery can
save lives and minimize suffering, it also comes with costs in addition to the
finances involved. There are a multitude of reasons that surgery should not be
considered due to the risks involved with surgery which include the following:
ü Post
operation cosmetic effects.
ü Infection.
ü Scare
tissue and inflammation.
ü Costly
follow-up surgical procedures.
ü Time
intensive healing process.
ü Costly
drugs to ease pain and manage swelling.
ü Potential
of damage to speech and tone of voice.
ü Complications
with swallowing.
ü Potential
seepage from wound and hemorrhaging.
ü Potential
for irritating dry mouth.
ü Potential for severe pain in ears.
Overview
of Surgical Procedures for Snoring
The problems listed as a
result of the different surgical processes are serious. These problems range
from finances to long term or permanent issues the patient may have to deal
with after undergoing snoring surgery. What each of these surgeries is actually
designed to do can be an absolute turn off, and when you consider the problems associated
with them, the compounded effects are something to be gravely considered when
there are so many other options available. Again, this is why in most cases,
surgery should be considered as a last resort, if at all.
These are the risks associated
with surgical procedures for snoring specifically; there are other risks that
are a part of any surgical procedure; but these other kinds of issues cannot be
compared to the unique set of problems that snoring creates and the different
surgeries designed to fix snoring. Cost for example, is always an issue, but
should be taken into account for an issue like snoring whereas for an issue
like cancer, or a failing organ, the cost must be incurred to preserve and
improve life. Another risk is anesthesia. Being “put under” for surgery is not
always the case, but for any kind of major surgery it is the case. Having
surgery performed for snoring would require this and anesthesia has been known
to result in complications if not death in some instances.
Let’s look at some of the
complications arising from some surgeries:
NAME
OF SURGERY: Tracheostomy
DESIGNED TO: Create an opening
in the trachea (sometimes this is called a tracheotomy)
REPORTED PROBLEMS
ü irritating
to tissues and possible scarring
ü requires
follow-up surgery
ü nasal
secretions can clog air pipe and lead to breathing difficulties
NAME
OF SURGERY: UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty)
DESIGNED TO: expand the airway
and end snoring
ü expensive
ü may
require follow-up surgery of obstruction occurs again
ü post-operation
infection
ü possible
speech defects
ü higher
than normal hemorrhage risk
ü swallowing
problems
ü not
effective for Sleep Apnea
NAME
OF SURGERY: LAUP (Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty)
DESIGNED TO: Uses lasers to
remove uvula and obstructing tissues, without removing tonsils or lateral
tissues
REPORTED PROBLEMS:
ü dry
mouth
ü Changes
to voice (to be avoided by people who require their voice to earn their
living!)
ü pain
in the ears
ü unpredictable
success rate
ü can
mask deeper problems and/or lead to new complications
NAME
OF SURGERY: CAPSO (Cautery-assisted palatal stiffening operation)
DESIGNED TO: Burns the palate
in order to stiffen it against vibration, and removes the mucosa along the
uvula.
REPORTED PROBLEMS
ü post-operation
discomfort and pain
ü currently
in experimental stages (unproven)
ü difficulty
predicting if surgery will be successful
ü expensive
Aside from these examples,
there are other new kinds of snore specific surgeries that have been developed
which include somnoplasty and snoreplasty. These procedures are new and as yet
unproven to have any kind of reliable success rate in addition to not knowing
what any long tem effects may arise from these kinds of surgeries for snoring.
In general surgery is a good
thing, a very good thing; but this does not mean that surgery is the best step
to take when looking to resolve an issue with snoring. To be clear; there are
cases where surgery is absolutely the best possible solution for a person
suffering from snoring and the positive effects resound just like the negative
ones did when snoring was causing loss of sleep and all the negative health
issues and frames of mind that go along with that.
Luckily there are other
options available. Non-surgical answers to snoring abound, some of these
remedies have been around for a long time, while others are relatively new.
These less invasive steps to alleviating snoring are where the majority of
relief from snoring comes from. Countless people use these alternative methods
with great success around the world, making it easier for them and those around
them to sleep and feel good which we will now take a look at.
Non-Surgical
Solutions to Snoring
Having already gone over the
surgical aspects of snoring, the risks and procedures; we now turn our
attention to the more common approaches to dealing with snoring. The
non-surgical options for resolution of snoring can be broken down into
different types of approaches: medicines, devices and appliances, changes in
lifestyle concerning diet and exercise, sleeping habits and alternative forms
of therapy for snoring. Any of these can be implemented with success depending
on the root cause of the snoring, and knowing what that root cause is. This may
require a combination approach, and will definitely require observation of the
effects of these measures on the snoring issue itself in order to estimate how
much relief results.
Medicinal
Solutions
In many cases, prescribed
medicines can provide a way out of the snoring nightmare. Drugs are prescribed
to achieve relief from snoring by accomplishing these tasks:
ü Unfurl
the nasal airway.
ü Energize
breathing.
ü Counteract
deep R.E.M. sleep (Rapid Eye Movement).
R.E.M. sleep is an integral
part of sleep. It is the deep state of sleep in which the body recoups vitality
and allows the mind to stay sharp and healthy. The effect of these snore
related drugs is to limit the depths to which the body can relax when in this
state so as to keep the throat from relaxing too much and keeping the air
passage open and free of obstruction thus leading to relief from snoring.
Basically these medicines have the opposite effect of what happens when someone
takes a sedative or has too much to drink. These things relax a person more
than usual and can exacerbate an existing snoring problem, or cause a person
who does not normally snore to do so.
There are over the counter
drugs available from pharmacies intended specifically to clear nasal sinuses
and air passages. These drugs are meant to treat cold or flu symptoms, but are
also useful to snorers for the decongestive and antihistamine properties
contained therein. Saline sprays, because they are sold in pharmacies as well
are considered part of the same group. These sprays are not controlled
substances, buy merely salt water used to keep sinuses and other tissues
surrounding the air passages moist in an effort to reduce or eliminate vibration
and thusly snoring.
Devices
for Snoring
There are a number of Snoring Devices
out there to help people cope with their snoring. These items start with very
basic items and go to the very complex. Most of these can be acquired at your
local drugstore, on the internet and by catalogue. The most popular and
effective anti-snore items follow.
The
Sandler Pillow™
Named after the inventor of
this type of pillow, The Sandler Pillow is a device designed to eliminate snoring by obliging
the sleeper to sleep on their side. This often promotes a closed mouth while
sleeping and helps to minimize vibration and thereby cancels out any snoring.
The
Snore Ball
Since its invention in the
early 1900’s The Snow Ball is an effective device which has helped countless people to stop snoring
by sleeping on their side. The snore ball is inserted in a pouch located on the
back of a set of pajamas. When the sleeper goes to roll onto their back from
sleeping on their side, the device makes this very uncomfortable, so the
sleeper will resume the side sleeping position rather than sleeping on their
back which is when most people snore. The snore ball can be any kind of ball
that will create enough discomfort to keep one from sleeping on their back.
Over time a habit is formed making the ball unnecessary.
Sleep
Position Monitor
This electronic device
basically accomplishes the same goal in a different manner. Instead of creating
physical discomfort when a person lies on their back, which is when snoring
occurs, the Sleep Position Monitor starts to beep when the sleeper lies on their
back. The beeping can be disturbing to others, but the point is that this
device helps establish new sleeping behaviors. Anyone who has suffered a person
snoring can deal with a little beeping until the problem is resolved. By
learning a better way to sleep, the person will stop snoring and the beeping
will not be an issue over time. Eventually the sleep position monitor may not
be necessary either.
Nasal
Strips
The Nasal Strips refer to a simple yet highly
effective device that has become popular for many people. The concept is basic,
open up the nostrils to make breathing easier. The device consists of a springy
plastic strip combined with and adhesive material. The strip is put on at
bedtime and taken off in the morning. The strips are so effective in maximizing
breathing through the nose that they are used by many players of different
sports. This is an over the counter remedy that anyone can use because there is
absolutely no medicine involved. Even non snorers are using them to get better
more restful sleep by breathing easier and recharging their body with more
oxygen.
Nasal
Dilators
Nasal Dilators offer the same
relief of opening up the nostrils to ease breathing, but take a slightly
different approach than the nasal strips. This kind of device is actually a
coil made of steel or plastic placed into the nostrils when going to sleep. The
effect is easier breathing, less snoring.
Throat
Sprays
Throat Sprays is another way to combat
snoring. A simple spray to the back of the throat keeps the tissues well lubed
in order to reduce or eliminate vibration. This is similar to a saline spray,
the difference is what the spray consists of which in this case are specialized
oils, not just salt water. Throat sprays are another form of simple,
inexpensive, yet effective of combating snoring when used properly. Overuse of
throat sprays can irritate the throat and then actually cause snoring. If an
over the counter spray is not good enough, a doctor can prescribe a more
effective version of the same implement.
Snore
Stopper™
The Snore Stopper is a device
that provides a negative association with snoring to make the person sleeping
stop snoring. The device can be worn on the arm or the wrist and whenever
snoring is detected the device gives the sleeper a small jolt of electricity to
get them to stop. Another version actually causes the tongue muscles to tense
which opens the airway making it easier to breathe and hence stop snoring.
Snoring
Appliances
Snoring appliances are applied
inside the mouth to directly influence or affect the components of the mouth to
eliminate snoring. These work to manipulate the tongue, jaw and palate in some
combination to stop snoring and provide better rest.
Oral
Appliances
These sets of tools are often
designed by medical and dental professionals to help with the snoring dilemma.
They have different names such as The Equalizer™ and The Silencer™. By
influencing the parts of the mouth these devices affect three basic properties
to eliminate snoring; they are:
ü Keeping
the mouth closed so that a person may not snore by making the trachea vibrate.
ü Positioning
the jaw in a forward placement to keep the tongue from sliding back and
blocking the airway.
ü Opening
the airway as much as possible to ease breathing and prevent snoring.
Tongue
Retaining Appliances
This style of appliance
specifically targets the tongue. The effect of this appliance keeps the tongue
forward by using suction to train the tongue not to lay back over the airway.
This increases airflow making it easier to breathe and preventing the vibration
that causes snoring. A tongue retainer is for people who cannot or will not
sleep on their side, and although a tongue retainer may be less than
comfortable, it is a highly effective option.
Mandibular
Advancement Appliances
Shortened to MAA, this is a
splint style of appliance that are basically like a mouth guard used in sports.
This keeps the jaw locked in a position that keeps it from moving back and
creating an obstruction that leads to snoring. These must be custom molded by a
dental professional and may be somewhat costly but are a great way to stop
snoring.
Thronton
Adjustable Positioners
The Silencer™ is a popular
example of this kind of device, which was created by Dr. Thronton in the
1990’s. This is an expensive option, but for a reason; it is adjustable and is
sometimes crafted from titanium. These are often referred to as TAPs, and are
similar in nature to MAAs in that they move the jaw forward in order to keep
the airway open and prevent snoring.
Palate
Lifters
Also known as lip shields, or
lip lifters, this appliance augments the palate to keep from vibrating and
causing a person to snore. This is an option to consider, although there has
yet to be a resolute opinion in the efficiency of this type of appliance.
Continuous
Positive Airway Pressure
This appliance is designed to
tackle Sleep Apnea specifically. It works similar to an oxygen mask. The mask
is worn on the face, or over the nose and keeps what is called positive
pressure in the airway which prevents the collapse of tissue and eases
breathing to the point of controlling ones blood pressure while asleep.
Lifestyles
and Snoring – Diet
Allergies
Allergies have been linked to
snoring, but because there are so many allergens, and each person is different,
it is up to the individual to observe when they are snoring and what they are
allergic to. Any kind of allergic reaction can lead to snoring, so when you are
suffering from allergies, whether they a food allergies or pet, you need to
take notice and take the appropriate measures to handle these allergies.
Weight
If you are overweight and
snore, you can bet that your snoring is at least in part related to your
obesity. Losing weight has a wide variety of health benefits, including better
sleep by not snoring. This has to do with your diet and eating habits, so if
you shape up, you may stop snoring altogether.
Eating
Habits
Certain foods cause congestion,
like dairy, fried foods, junk food and sweets. If you snore, your diet probably
has something to do with it. Eating a healthier diet can improve your health as
well as minimize if not alleviate any snoring. There are foods that are
considered to be beneficial for people who snore, which consist mostly of leafy
greens.
Clean
Living
Your habits can determine
whether or not you will snore. Healthy habits actually prevent snoring.
Drinking and sleeping pills are known to cause snoring; use these in moderation.
If you smoke and you snore, chances are quitting will help you sleep better by
not snoring. Caffeine has been linked to respiratory issues, so keep your
intake to a minimum.
Lifestyles
and Snoring – Exercise & Sleep Factors
Exercise in general is good
for the body, and helps to achieve more restful sleep. Healthy habits help
prevent to minimize snoring, but there are snoring specific exercises one can
do.
Throat
Work Out
Toning the muscles of the
throat can really improve the breathing process when sleeping, thus helping
with snoring if not eradicating it all together. There are a few options to
stress the muscles systems that affect snoring. You can firmly hold a pencil
between your teeth for up to five minutes. Pressing a finger to the chin with
moderate pressure for a few minutes builds jaw strength. Also holding the tip
of the tongue firmly against the bottom front teeth strengthens the tongue.
These are exercises that can be done anytime, anywhere. These should not be
painful, and the more these exercises are implemented, the better the results
will be.
Sleep
Factors
One needs to consider the way
in which one sleeps and how that affects the way you breathe at night. Sleeping
on your back promotes snoring, but having a good pillow, or sleeping with
something under the chin can help to stop snoring. Anything to keep the mouth
shut during sleep is a big help. Your sleep environment plays a role in snoring
too. A humidifier will help keep the throat and sinuses moist, and making the
room as dark and quiet as possible helps to reduce stress, and calm the person
sleeping to the point that breathing becomes easier.
Snoring
Therapy Alternatives
Here are some other approaches
one can try when dealing with snoring; these have been around for some time
because of how successful they have been in combating snoring. A warm drink
before bed; herbal tea can really help alleviate snoring. Relaxation techniques
to calm the mind and practice breathing techniques like Tai Chi and Yoga have
been of great benefit to many snorers. Other forms of relaxation include meditation
and massage, or even just soothing music. Homeopathic medicines offer many ways
to deal with snoring too. These include products like Snore Stop™ and Y-Snore™.
Homeopathic alternatives look to achieve the same end result in different ways,
such as dissolving blockages in the nose and throat or lubrication with natural
products. Magnetic therapy is popular in china and can help ameliorate snoring
by affecting the nerves found in the nose. Magnets can be put all over the body
to achieve results that improve issues with snoring. This applies even to
weight loss which can in turn affect snoring. Even hypnosis has been used to
help control snoring by some, although many are skeptical of this practice as
it is not a recognized successful solution to snoring. Other more “alternative”
therapies are based on light and color, or in other circumstances gems and
crystals as sources of healing power. These latter examples have yet to be
established as effective by science or medicine, but the power of belief can be
enough to produce the placebo effect. So as long as the end result is the
cessation of snoring, any means can be tried and tested to see if they work for
a given individual.
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Let us Talk About It More
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