Even though it might sound hard to believe, statistics say that approximately a half of adults snore at least from time to time. In the majority of cases, this is more a problem for a partner of the person who snores than for that person, particularly if the problem is constantly present. As for the reasons why people snore, the fact is that whichever the cause, the main problem is related to the fact that some kind of physical obstruction in the air flow is present. For example, nasal passages can be obstructed due to various reasons, among which are allergy of some kind, nose deformities, and nasal polyps.
Even if the obstruction is only partial, it will result in snoring. If muscles of the throat and tongue are too relaxed, either due to the use of sleeping pills or alcohol, the result of it will also be snoring. These muscles tend to become weaker with age, which makes older people more prone to snoring. If uvula, long soft palate, tonsils or adenoids are too large, the person will also have problems with snoring, and the same goes for children in such cases. The causes of snoring are rarely serious in nature, but the fact is that snoring itself might present danger to the health of an individual. For example, breathing might be interrupted even longer than 10 seconds, and this can happen frequently during night, which affects the quality of sleep, as well as quality of life in the long run. Obstructed sleep apnea might result in heart enlargement, which increases the chances of heart attack or even stroke. These are only some of the problems that the person in question might be exposed to, but they are serious enough to indicate that this problem should be treated. And there certainly are some methods that might help.
How can snoring be cured?
Generally, the doctors first try to treat this problem by suggesting changes in the lifestyle, which refers to losing excess weigh, if necessary, avoiding alcohol, changing positions while sleeping and similar. If this does not help, than some oral appliances such as dental mouthpieces might need to be tried out. Besides, there are various procedures that can be performed, among which are uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, tonsillectomy, somnoplasty, Pillar procedure.
A relatively new product on the market is called asonor, and it is a kind of nasal spray that is claimed to be able to stop snoring and improve breathing due to the fact that it lubricates the mucous membrane, thus reducing the dryness of the throat. It might be worth giving it a try, since no side effects have been reported due to its use, at least not so far.
- Photo courtesy of Doug Ford by Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/dorofo2504/8277507198/
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