WHAT IS SNORING?
According to Phantom Resources, snoring is a cry for help. It's the sound of someone strangling as he struggles for air. Snoring is the noise made during sleep when the sleeper attempts to force air past any obstructions in the upper airway. Breathing causes turbulence in the upper air passages. This air pressure makes the surrounding tissues vibrate. The larger the obstruction, the louder the snoring.
WHO SNORES?
Forty-five percent of adults snore. Although more common in males, females do snore as well. Even small children snore.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES?
There are many things that cause snoring. Some of these causes are intrinsic, a part of the body structure. Intrinsic causes could be the structure of the jaw, an enlarged tongue or a flabby uvula or soft palate. Another cause is enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Other causes of snoring are obesity, smoking and alcohol. Allergies that affect the sinuses are also culprits. Also, the use of sedatives relaxes the body, including the tissue in the throat, and this can aggravate snoring.
PROBLEMS AND COMPLICATIONS
Snoring can disrupt your sleep. Sometimes the noise and the effort to breathe can bring you out of the deepest slumber. You wake up with a dry mouth and a sore throat. Snoring also disrupts the sleep of others in your bed, your room, or even your house. People have been asked to leave hotel rooms because their snoring bothered the people in adjoining rooms.But, far worse than the social inconvenience, snoring is often a precursor of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, stroke and heart attack.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Improve your lifestyle. Try to lose weight, especially if you are obviously obese. Avoid the use of alcohol and stop smoking. Exercise is an excellent pastime and will improve your general health as well as help with any weight problems. If at all possible, avoid the use of sedatives such as tranquilizers or sleeping pills. Set regular bedtime habits like a set hour for going to sleep, and try to sleep on your side.
TREATMENT
There are dozens of over-the-counter remedies offered to prevent snoring. Some are mechanical devices. Some are herbal tonics and sprays. Talk to your Dentist. He may have some advice about dental devices and snoring.If none of these alternatives help your condition, check with your doctor about having a polysomnogram or sleep study done. He may advise the use of a CPAP machine. Or he may suggest one of the many surgical procedures, some of them simple operations done in the office, to alleviate the snoring problem.
