Learn How To Stop Snoring Without Surgery Blog

Learn how clearing the nasal passages through yoga and pranayama can help fight sleep apnea.

Apnea means ‘cessation of breath’. Sleep Apnea is characterised by restless sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, gasping, choking (may wake you up), confusion upon awakening, excessive perspiration during sleep and unrefreshing sleep. Associated features may include an overweight body, irritability, depression, morning headaches, etc. These complaints are due to episodes of upper airway obstruction that occur during sleep, usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation. The upper airway can be obstructed by excess tissue in the airway, large tonsils or a large tongue. Another site of obstruction can be the nasal passages. Sometimes the structure of the jaw and airway can be a factor in sleep apnea. A sleep test, called polysomnography is usually done to diagnose sleep apnea. This painless test involves monitoring brain waves, muscle tension, eye movement, respiration, oxygen level in the blood and audio monitoring (for snoring, gasping, etc).

Avoidance of being overweight by special care on diet, exercise and stress management can prevent the condition. Diet management includes:

*Avoid tamasic foods ( non-vegetarian foods, fried or fermented or stale foods) in dinner

*Sleep with empty stomach by leaving a gap of at least 2 hours between dinner and going to bed.

*Increase the quantity of fibre by including more of green leafy vegetables, salads and fruits in the diet.

*Avoid constipation.

Regular exercise through walking before going to bed is important to improve the quality of sleep and reduce the heaviness that leads to snoring. Practice of 21 rounds of Nadishuddhi Pranayama before going to bed is very valuable in reducing the problem of excessive snoring which is one of the major complaints in sleep apnea. Sleeping on your side is recommended.

Simple stretching and relaxation exercises of yoga can increase suppleness, enhance mental and physical relaxation, and improve the quality of sleep. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages. Do the exercises every day.

Exercices

Starting position: Sit with legs straight

The trunk of the body is upright and relaxed. Place the hands about 10 cm behind the body with the fingers pointing outwards

Inhaling bring the left arm to the right side and place the palm or the fingertips beside the right buttock on the floor.

Exhaling bend the left leg and place the foot on the outside of the right thigh on the floor. The body should be upright. The left buttock should remain in contact with the floor. Turn the upper body and head to the right, looking back over the right shoulder.

Holding the breath remain in this position for a long as comfortable.

Inhaling return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise to the other side.

(info from http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/oct282005/living1341220051027.asp)

Snoring should be considered a medical symptom that affects more than a third of the U.S. population (44 percent of men and 28 percent of women). It may be the result of underlying, treatable conditions, or may herald a more serious risk to health.

Snoring that interrupts sleep — either the patient’s or the bed partner’s — should be brought to the attention of the snorer’s primary-care physician. Getting input from the snorer’s bed partner is also valuable in assessing the significance of the snoring. In some instances, referral to a specialist or to a sleep disorders center for testing will be appropriate.

Snoring occurs when tissues in the throat relax and narrow the air passageway. The tissues vibrate when air flows past. The sound of these vibrations can range from mild to severe. The average, 60-decibel noise level produced by a typical snorer is approximately equivalent to normal conversational noise levels. Snoring in the high noise-level range — 80 to 90 decibels — can match the levels of a vacuum cleaner or passing freight train.

The causes of snoring and exacerbation of snoring noise levels can be both physical and behavioral. Determining the cause of snoring and implementing strategies to address the underlying condition can be beneficial in reducing noise levels. For example, being overweight contributes to collapsing the air passageway during sleep, so weight loss and/or shifting sleeping position to your side can alleviate snoring in some cases. Snoring also can be brought on by chronic nasal congestion, a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) or consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. In these cases, a nasal decongestant, surgery and less alcohol, respectively, should improve the condition.

In the past, most doctors agreed that snoring alone was not a serious medical condition unless it actually developed into a complete blockage or collapse of the air passageway and a cessation of breathing, a condition known as sleep apnea. Today, there is significant clinical evidence that snoring can be an indication of other serious medical conditions, including high blood pressure, especially in young adults. The most notorious medical condition closely associated with snoring is still obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, which requires the sleeper to awaken to begin breathing again.

Sleep apnea results when the sleeper’s airway is completely blocked, so that no air is supplied to the lungs for at least 10 seconds or more at a frequency of at least five times an hour. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a frequent complaint of individuals with this condition. During this process, the sleeper will have a simultaneous drop in blood oxygen levels and an increase in blood pressure, which can become potentially dangerous and requires medical treatment with a continuous positive airway pressure device, or CPAP. This simple device blows air into the mouth or nose with enough pressure to keep the airway open.

Other treatments for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome include mandibular advancement devices, which make the lower jaw and the base of the tongue jut forward, and a variety of new surgical procedures, which, because they are invasive, are always the last resort. The choice of treatment for this particular condition is best determined by a sleep study at an accredited sleep facility.

(info By DR. JANICE E. NEVIN from http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051011/HEALTH/510110303/-1/NEWS01)

Snoring may seem on the the surface, to be a fairly trivial ailment, but it can cause enourmous stress, tension in relationships and even affect people’s work, as lack of sleep prevents sufferers from being able to perform properly.

Snoring is caused by air passing over the soft tissues in the palate and making a noise. During the waking hours, our muscle tone prevents this happening, but once relaxed, there is less room for the air to pass through. Of course, this doesn’t make everyone snore, but for some, it is a precondition for snoring. Other factors that can make it worse include smoking, excess weight, congestion or even a small deformity in the airway.

Another more serious sleep problem is sleep apnoea, a condition where the sufferer temporarily stops breathing during sleep. This automatically forces the person to wake up in order to start breating again. Needless to say, this doesn’t exactly make for a restful night. Sleep apnoea is difficult to self-diagnose and patients are usually diagnosed at sleep clinics, where special equipment is used to monitor sleep.

There is now a wide range of products on the market to help with the problem of snoring. Adhesive strips that help keep the nostrils open or the mouth closed are widely available and many snorers find them extremely effective. For those who find snoring is caused by breathing through the mouth, ‘mandibular advancement devices’ can be effective as they help the airway to stay open by bringing the lower jaw and tongue forward.

These devices look a little bit like a boxer’s gum shield and although they are probably not that conducive to a romantic night in, at least you should get some sleep.

Over three and a half million people snore. Four out of ten men and up to three out of ten women. Millions of partners and neighbours suffer sleep disturbed nights too.

The noise of snoring is caused by parts of the nose and throat, in particular the soft palate, vibrating as you breath in and out. At night, muscles that help keep your airways open relax and become floppy, the airways narrow, vibrate more, so snoring is more likely.

Alcohol and also sleeping tablets relax these muscles more and being overweight puts pressure on the airways.

A nose blocked by a cold, allergy, nasal polyps, or damaged and crooked from playing rugby for example, means you’re likely to breathe through your mouth making snoring more likely.

Smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to snore because their airways get inflamed and blocked.

Prods, kicks, and punches from your partner, the threat of divorce, and complaints from the neighbours are all common. You may also be suffering with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

In this condition the relaxed throat muscles block the airway briefly hundreds of times each night stopping you breathing and depriving your body of oxygen. Short-term this causes day-time tiredness, irritability, restlessness, and puts you at risk of accidents when driving for example. Long-term it can cause high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes. Treatment involves wearing a dental splint and using a continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) machine whilst you sleep to keep the airways properly ventilated.

One can stop snoring by no late night alcohol and maintaining your ideal weight. Raisinge the head of the bed too. Sleeping on your back makes snoring worse. Keep on your side by sewing a ball into the back of your pyjama top. If you don’t wear pyjamas wedging a pillow under your back creates the same effect.

Clear your nose by humidifying the air in the bedroom, inhaling steam, and rubbing a few drops of eucalyptus or olbas oil onto your pillow-case before going to bed. Antihistamine tablets and / or an anti-inflammatory nasal sprays help. Always check with the pharmacist that they’re suitable for you, especially if you’re taking other medicines.

Obstructive sleep apnoea - characterised by loud snoring, interrupted breathing and multiple nighttime awakenings - is more than a nuisance. It can be a real threat to health, due to its links to obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Almost 80 percent of blacks have common signs of obstructive sleep apnoea, while only 55 percent of whites do, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting, which began Sunday in Los Angeles.

“Here you have a population that’s at far greater risk to have the problem, and that’s more likely to be adversely affected by sequelae of the disease, like hypertension and obesity,” said Dr Michael Friedman, chairman of head and neck surgery at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Centre in Chicago. On top of that, “they’re less likely to get the treatment they need,” he said.

Friedman said that it’s important to identify sleep apnoea early on, because there are more treatment options available at that stage.

Snoring is not normal

Only 18 percent of blacks said they had ever left the bedroom due to spousal snoring, while 30 percent of white spouses said they had done so. When asked if snoring was “normal,” 32 percent of blacks said it was compared to just 19 percent of whites.

“Obviously, there is less of a sensation that [sleep apnoea] needs to be addressed or treated” among blacks, said Friedman.

“One of the main reasons people come in for treatment is because of the snoring, and their partner complaining about the snoring,” noted Dr Kelvin Lee, director of the division of general otolaryngology and sleep surgery at the New York University Medical Centre.

“From this study, it appears that in the black community there isn’t a perception of snoring being a problem. That’s a big opportunity for outreach and education,” he said.

Lee said his only real issue with this study was that people were diagnosed with sleep apnoea using the OSA score, rather than traditionally recognized sleep studies.

Snoring can be a serious problem

Both Friedman and Lee said it’s important for people to realise that sleep apnoea can be a serious problem, and the sooner it’s treated, the better.

“This is not something where you’re going to die tomorrow, but it puts such a strain on the system, it can give you high blood pressure and heart trouble because your body has to compensate. It’s dangerous to have sleep apnoea long-term. You’re probably more likely to die earlier if you don’t treat it,” said Lee.

Friedman said that, along with getting a sleep study to diagnose sleep apnoea, it’s a good idea to also see an otolaryngologist for a full range of treatment options.

(info from HealthDayNews)