What you can do against snoring

What you can do against snoring

Snorting...gasping...roaring... When someone is snoring in your bedroom, it's hard to ignore. Snoring can be very disruptive to a partner who is trying to get some sleep. But it can also be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition that causes repeated pauses in breathing at night.

“Snoring and apnea often go hand in hand,” says ear, nose and throat doctor Tony Reisman, MD. Dr. Reisman explains why it's important to find the cause of snoring - and how to get the problem under control so everyone involved can recover.

What causes snoring?

Anyone – men, women, even children – can snore. “Snoring is actually quite common in children,” says Dr. Reisman.

However, it is more common in men and people who were assigned male at birth (DMAB) and are overweight. And it often gets worse with age.

Snoring occurs when breathing is restricted during sleep. When air tries to pass through the soft tissues, they vibrate - causing the telltale honking and snorting that causes your partner to run you out of the bedroom.

Some people are just born snorers. But snoring is often caused by an underlying condition, such as: B:

• Fettleibigkeit
• Strukturelle Probleme in der Nase, wie eine Nasenscheidewandverkrümmung
• Vergrößerte Mandeln oder Rachenmandeln
• Chronische Verstopfung und Verstopfung
• Schlafapnoe

Snoring in itself is not harmful. But it can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea. This sleep disorder causes you to repeatedly stop breathing for a few seconds night after night.

If you have sleep apnea, you probably wake up after a night still feeling tired. You may feel sleepy during the day and have difficulty concentrating at work or school. Some people nod off during the day, which increases the risk of car accidents or work-related accidents.

For people with sleep apnea, treating snoring is a matter of health. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to serious health problems, including:

• Hoher Blutdruck
• Schlaganfall
• Diabetes
• Herzprobleme, einschließlich Herzversagen und Herzinfarkt

Home remedies for snoring

There are different ways to combat snoring, depending on what the cause is. Here are some home remedies to help you stop snoring naturally.

Work towards a healthy weight

“Obesity is a leading cause of snoring, both in children and adults,” says Dr. Reisman. During sleep, the fatty tissue in the throat can press on the back of the throat and block the airway as the throat muscles relax. Losing weight can literally take the pressure off.

Relief from constipation

If you have chronic nasal congestion, medications such as antihistamines or nasal sprays can help you breathe more easily - and reduce the noise at night.

Change your position

Try raising the head of your bed. And if you sleep on your side instead of your back, you may also snore less. (Strange but true: Some people swear by sewing a tennis ball to the back of their shirt to keep them from rolling onto their backs at night).

Open your nose

Opening your nasal passages at night can help reduce snoring. Adhesive strips placed on the bridge of the nose open the nostrils and improve airflow. Another option is nasal dilators, which you insert into your nostrils to widen the nasal opening. Both the strips and the dilators are inexpensive and easy to get at the drugstore.

Quit smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. Not only does it lower your blood pressure and increase your energy levels, but it can also help reduce your snoring. And why? It improves nasal congestion, which in turn affects your snoring.

Reduce or avoid alcohol

In general, avoiding alcohol before bed is good for sleep quality. It is particularly helpful for snoring. Alcohol can cause the respiratory muscles to relax during sleep, so you should avoid it for several hours before bed.

Doctor-approved methods to stop snoring

If home remedies don't help - or if you have symptoms of sleep apnea - talk to a doctor about these proven remedies that combat both snoring and apnea:

CPAP therapy

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the gold standard in the treatment of sleep apnea and snoring. You wear a mask over your nose or mouth that blows air into your airways while you sleep. The pressurized air keeps your airways open while you snooze.

In the past, the devices were bulky and inconvenient and had a bad reputation. But they've come a long way, says Dr. Reisman.

“Today’s devices are streamlined, small and quiet, and have various attachments that make them convenient,” he adds. “It may take a little time to get used to, but the problem of snoring and sleep apnea will be solved immediately.

Get fitted for an oral appliance

If a CPAP machine isn't an option for you, an oral device can relieve snoring. These mouthguard-like devices hold the lower jaw forward while sleeping, a position that helps keep the airway open.

Although there are some over-the-counter versions, Dr. Reisman recommends having a dentist or oral surgeon create an appliance custom-made for your mouth.

“An ill-fitting appliance can put strain on the jaw, exchanging one problem for another,” he explains.

Consider surgery

Depending on the cause of your snoring, surgery may help. These include the following procedures:

Repair of a deviated nasal septum. The nasal septum is the bone and cartilage between your nostrils. Sometimes it's crooked. “When this happens, airflow can be blocked on one side of the nose,” says Dr. Reisman. “Correcting the deviated nasal septum through surgery can improve snoring.

Reduction of the nasal concha. “Inside your nose are structures called turbinates that warm, purify, and humidify the air you breathe,” explains Dr. Reisman. They can also be enlarged. Surgery to reduce the size of the nasal turbinates can improve airflow and reduce snoring.

Removal of tonsils and adenoids. The tonsils and adenoids are bulky tissues in the back of the throat and nose that can block the airway and cause snoring, especially in children. Removing them can help.

uvula/palate surgery. A large uvula – the soft tissue that hangs from the edge of the soft palate – can lead to snoring. “Surgery to remove the uvula and/or part of the soft palate can improve snoring and apnea,” explains Dr. Reisman.

Implantable nerve stimulator. This treatment involves surgically placing an implant along the nerves in your throat. Surgeons implant a pacemaker-like device into your chest. The device monitors your breathing and stimulates your throat muscles to open the airway and prevent apnea.

When is it time for snoring treatment?

It's easy to ignore snoring - after all, it happens when you sleep. But if your partner has relegated you to the guest room, it's probably time to consider your options.

To get to the bottom of the cause of your noise at night, you should speak to a doctor. He may look for causes such as chronic constipation or nasal obstruction. Your doctor may recommend a sleep study. You will spend the night in a sleep laboratory so that the doctors can monitor you while you sleep.

"It's important to have a comprehensive exam to find out what's causing your snoring," says Dr. Reisman. “If you suffer from apnea, you should definitely seek treatment to maintain your long-term health.

The following articles may also help you as they look at the same topic from a different light:

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