Snoring is a problem of both genders and a problem among all ages. It can occur nightly or intermittently. Overweight males are most at risk and become more of an issue with age.Snoring disrupts your own and your partner’s sleep. Because of fragmented sleep, it translates into a poor daytime function. Studies have shown that heart disease and sleep apnea are associated with snoring and 50% of people who snore have obstructive SLEEP APNEA.
During sleep, the muscles of the throat relax and the tongue falls backward so the throat becomes narrow and floppy hence the walls of throat vibrate as we breathe.These vibrations are the cause of snoring.The narrower the throat, the greater the sound and the louder the sound.If it causes apneas which are a serious condition a medical or dental visit becomes necessary.
A snoring spouse often keeps the partner from a good night’s sleep, which usually leads to separate bedrooms. “Snoring can create real problems in our marriage.
Try these natural solutions and lifestyle changes below, they may help you stop snoring.
Lying on your side helps often because the tongue and soft palate can not collapse like when you are lying on your back. Buy a body pillow that supports your whole body so you can not turn on your turn on your back This really helps a lot.Putting tennis balls to the back of your pajamas can also stop you from turning on your back! A trick I learned as a dentist when dealing with my father’s snoring. Losing weight can also help if you have gained weight and then started snoring. Weight loss helps with snoring a lot. Using Alcohol and sedatives like bedtime pills reduce the resting tone of the muscles in the back of your throat, making it more likely you will snore at night. Practice better sleep patterns ( not over- tired ), better supportive pillows and airway sprays all help with the snoring problem. If none of the above is helpful, then come and see us for a snoring device which would forward the lower jaw a fraction, making snoring impossible. Mytehrandentist constructs custom-made snoring devices in our own house laboratory section.
Numerous products can be found on the market that advertises snoring cures. We have tried many of them and have found that some of them work for some people while others do not work at all. What might for you, might not work another. However, dental devices work for everyone since they protrude the mantle forward, making snoring impossible.
Products that are available are:
Oral appliances –Do not buy over the counter products. Many of these devices work by bringing the lower jaw (mandible) forward relative to the upper jaw (maxilla) in the wrong way. These movements are supposed to open and widen the upper airway behind the tongue where the snoring sound is made. Only devices that are custom made by dental labs and dentists are effective than over the counter devices and often have the ability to be adjusted for performance if needed. Over the counter, products are usually bought with no benefit.
Nasal strips – There are small nasal strips that can have improvement in snoring using these strips. They help by making a larger space for the air to pass through. The effectivity is obviously not the same as oral devices
Pillows – Special pillows that extend the neck may be beneficial in widening the upper airway and reducing snoring or even side pillows that make it impossible for a person to turn on their back.
CPAP –A machine that works for obstructive sleep apnea. This treatment is often effective at reducing snoring by pushing constant air into the back of the throat. Because of its bulky structure and the high cost, not many people use these machines.
