Fact : there are probably as many cures for snoring as there are people complaining about someone snoring. Over 300 anti-snoring devices and cures have been registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices. They include the familiar remedy -– a tennis ball in a sock sewed on the back of your pajamas, which supposedly keeps you from rolling over on your back and snoring. Sticky strips to hold your nostrils open, mouthwashes and nasal sprays are other commonly advised cures.
Snoring cures recommended include avoiding alcoholic beverages, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before retiring. Exercising the throat, the tongue, and the jaw muscles so that the breathing passage widens and stays open while sleeping is also recommended. Sleeping prone, on one’s side or raising the head of the bed may also help.
Let’s face it : the various devices promoted as snoring cures usually work well only in mild cases and do not relieve sleep apnea. Nasal infections and allergies should be treated. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine, also known as a CPAP mask is a device you wear on the nose while sleeping to decrease snoring and sleep apnea. Dental appliances can also be used to prevent the tongue from falling back. For heavy snoring, surgically correcting obstructive conditions in the nose, pharynx, or uvula by laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty may be the only solution.
In order to know which snoring cure is right for you, an interview with the doctor, and possibly an interview with your spouse or anyone else in the household who has tolerated your snoring, is usually enough for a diagnosis of the severity of snoring. A medical history, which includes questions about alcohol or tranquilizer use; past ear, nose, and throat problems; and the pattern and degree of snoring will be completed and a physical examination will then be performed to determine the cause of the problem. Thereafter, a snoring cure is recommended.
More than a third of Scottish snorers are single compared to only 25 per cent in the rest of the UK, according to a survey published recently.
The findings reveal how the condition can cause family tensions and break up relationships and highlights the fact that many sufferers do not know where to go to get effective treatment.
Researchers carrying out the independent study found that nearly 56 per cent of Scottish people questioned believed that snoring causes tension between couples and more than one in five blamed snoring for the break-up of relationships.
(info from http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1892302005)
Myth: Snoring is a common problem, especially among men, but it isn’t harmful.
Although snoring may be harmless for most people, it can be a symptom of a life-threatening sleep disorder called sleep apnea, especially if it is accompanied by severe daytime sleepiness.
Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing that prevent air from flowing into or out of a sleeping person’s airways. People with sleep apnea awaken frequently during the night gasping for breath. The breathing pauses reduce blood oxygen levels, can strain the heart and cardiovascular system, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Snoring on a frequent or regular basis has been directly associated with hypertension. Obesity and a large neck can contribute to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be treated; men and women who snore loudly, especially if pauses in the snoring are noted, should consult a physician.
(info from The National Sleep Foundation)