Health Effects of Snoring

Tip! If all else fails there are several types of surgeries that can be extremely effective remedies for snoring. You would need to speak with an ear, nose and throat specialist for the best treatment for your specific mouth structure.

To determine what causes the problem of snoring, you should first be aware of what it is and what the effects are. Snoring is a loud noise of breathing through the mouth or nose that occurs during sleep. Almost everyone snores on occasion. One main reason snoring occurs is because of congestion, but even a baby or pet can snore. It can become a problem if you stop breathing during sleep and have to wake up to catch your breath, if you’re disturbing someone you’re sleeping with, or if you’re not getting enough sleep because of it.

Tip! If you’re a smoker, kick the habit. Cigarette smoking can disturb your sleep and can increase the likelihood of snoring.

Usually snoring does not only cause problems for the snorer, it causes problem for the sleep partner. The snorer often wakes up from the snoring or from trying to stop snoring. The sleep partner can have trouble sleeping because of the noise, or the anxiety about their partner’s health and well-being. Lack of sleep can have many consequences through out the day such as lack of productivity, irritability and sleepiness.

A fact about snoring that most people don’t know is that it can cause serious health problems. It has been linked to increased risk of diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease. Sleep apnea can also be a result of snoring.

Snoring can be classified into two ratings, mild and severe. It can be classified as mild if the snoring stops when the snorer wakes up and turns over. Severe snoring is continual snoring no matter what the sleep position is. If you sleep alone, you will find it more difficult to tell whether you snore or not. Some snorers awaken themselves by the noise and are aware that they snore. If you wake in the morning and feel drowsy after a reasonable number of hours of sleep, you may consider seeing a doctor and get tested at a sleep clinic for snoring.

Tip! Exercising and losing weight can not only be part of a healthier lifestyle for you; it can actually reduce the size of your palate. A smaller palate can reduce the likelihood of snoring.

One question you may find asking yourself is how can you tell the difference between snoring and sleep apnea? Sleep apnea is a breathing problem, which requires the sleeper to awake to begin breathing again. A person with this condition wakes up many times in a night to start breathing again, but usually remembers nothing about waking up. A sleep partner is usually the one that remembers the person with sleep apnea waking up and is a good witness of this illness.

It is apparent that snoring can be a problem to your health, but it can also cause social problems. Sleep partners of heavy snorers often wake up over 20 times per hour, which drastically cuts into their sleep time. The partner either tries to stop the other person’s snoring, or lies awake hoping that they can go back to sleep. Many partners of snorers decide to sleep in separate rooms and that causes the loss of quality talking and physical intimacy that can only leave a strain on your relationship. The snorer often becomes frustrated about the problem they seemingly have no control over.

Tip! Avoid harmful drugs, alcohol or sleeping pills. Drug-induced sleep is more likely to loosen up your throat muscles, causing them to fall back into the throat and result in snoring.

Now that you’re aware of the problems snoring causes, you can learn what causes it. The muscles in the body relax during sleep; also the muscles in the throat relax so the airway partly closes. However, this is normal in people that snore and those that do not. If the airflow in the nose and throat becomes blocked in this air passage, it causes snoring. What you can do to prevent snoring is find over-the-counter products that open up the air passage or try some of the following tips: lose weight, sleep on your side, sleep without a pillow, avoid antihistamines and avoid sleeping pills and other sedatives. If none of these options work for you, consult a doctor about your snoring.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Snoring


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