Snoring

It can be a big problem for some people, not only for the person doing the snoring, but the people around them as well. People may think there is a way around it, but there isn't: people need their sleep. Without sleep, we just cannot function like we're meant to. Snoring is more than just a sleep problem, it's a health problem as well. Thinking is fuzzier, judgement is impaired, and needed work doesn't get done. You find yourself in a fog, and 'catching up' on sleep really doesn't work, as it will throw your sleep cycle off for several days.

Snoring cause not only the person doing to to lose sleep, due to actually waking them selves up multiple times during the night, but also can strain a relationship to the point of breaking.

Causes of Snoring

Snoring is a sound that occurs when air flow past the relaxed soft tissues of the throat, causing them it vibrate, making a harsh noise. The only snoring remedy of poking someone to get them to roll over works temporarily, but the snoring will usually resume what the person rolls back to the previous position. There are several treatment for snoring, from simple to surgical.

Snoring Treatments

The easiest treatment for snoring usually involve some sort of life style change. First, get examined by your doctor to determine if your snoring is medical in nature, meaning is there a medical problem that is causing it. If not, then there are a few option open to you:

Losing Weight. Sometimes losing weight will be a good method of combating snoring. The extra weight has been know to affect the throat and throat muscles, pressing them down and narrowing air passages as you sleep. Losing the extra weight will help in opening up the passages and allowing air to flow freely.

Don't drink alcohol near bedtime. Alcohol is a depressant, and will relax the throat muscles, making it ore likely to block the air passages as you sleep.

Sleeping on your side. Yes, it's on old remedy, but one that can work. If you can train yourself to sleep on your side rather than your back, this could very well solve the problem.

For more serious cases, there are medical solutions.

Your doctor will first suggest the non-medical solutions we listed above. If these don't work, then a medical solution might be needed.

The most used medical solutions for snoring are:

• Oral appliances. These are form-fitting dental mouthpieces that advance the tongue and soft palate position, to keep your air passage open.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). For this, you have to wear a pressurized mask over your nose while you sleep. The mask pumps air into your lungs to make sure you're breathing properly. This is more for sleep apnea, a condition were the sufferer actually stops breathing during sleep.
• Palatal implants. For this, braided strands of polyester filament are injected into the soft palate, stiffening it and reducing snoring.
• Traditional surgery. In this procedure your surgeon tightens and trims excess soft tissues.
• Laser surgery. An outpatient surgery where your doctor uses a laser shortening the soft palate and removing your uvula. Not recommended for sleep apnea.
• Radiofrequency tissue ablation. In this, doctors use a radiofrequency signal, removing part of the soft palate to reduce snoring. This method is still being researched as to side effects and effectiveness.