Snoring treatments and symptoms of sleep apnea

Lots of us snore. An estimated forty-five percent of normal adults ( both sexes ) snore at least occasionally, and 25 percent are habitual snorers. Problem snoring is more frequent in males and overweight persons, and it usually gets worse with age.

Snoring is simply vibratory noise generated from the throat when the airway narrows beyond a certain point as you relax in your sleep. Further narrowing produces not only louder snoring, but also laboured breathing. Finally, yet further narrowing can cause complete obstruction, so called sleep apnea.

Snoring can be caused by alcohol, smoking, sleeping pills, blocked nose, sinusitis, a large uvula, enlarged tonsils, deformities in the nasal pathway, cough mixture containing dextromethorphan & excess body weight.

Sleep apnea is a condition where the snorer stops breathing for a couple of seconds (10-30 seconds) at a time long enough to deplete oxygen in the blood & brain, & followed by loud snorts.

This cycle occurs many times during sleep. In certain cases, the snorer awakens abruptly a few times in the night, gasping for air.

Sleep apnea could contribute to heart disease, stroke & hypertension.

Severe sufferers of apnea are often deprived of restful slumber as the body is constantly on the alert mode to keep the airways open for breathing.

Overweight middle-aged (or older) men & overweight menopausal women may start to snore.

Most snorers actually don't know they snore.

Though it's no surprise that snoring has been a cause of marital discord, however helpful aids & information is readily available so don't ever let it affect your marriage.

Children do snore & usually it's because their adenoids are enlarged or when they have a blocked nose.

Is treatment important?

Snoring can be far from harmless. The social consequences can be extremely distressing: banishment from the bedroom, marital disharmony, no holidays because of the enforced sleep disruption when sharing a hotel room, fear of travelling falling asleep during long journeys on public transport and the consequent joking and embarrassment. Many of the stories we hear are very sad and not worthy of the laugh and joke approach to snoring.

Obstructive sleep apnea, through the gross sleep disturbance, reduces performance at work, at home, and on the road. Car accidents are much more common. One in four Road Traffic Accidents in the UK are sleep related. The response to therapy is extraordinarily dramatic with a return to a state of alertness and vitality often not previously experienced for years or even decades. There is no doubt in our minds that treatment is essential for sleep apnea and extremely appropriate for some snorers.

What can be done to stop snoring?

1. Losing weight if you are overweight
2. Clearing your Nose before bed
3. Stop drinking alcohol in the evening
4. Stop smoking

Surgery

When all else has failed, including trying a mandibular advancement device ( anti-snoring device ), and the snorer is desperate for help (and a sleep study has been performed to confirm snoring and exclude significant sleep apnoea) then an operation on the throat (uvulopalatopharyngo-plasty, or UPPP) may be appropriate.

This operation removes part of the soft palate, any residual tonsils, and tightens the walls of the throat: it is very painful after the operation and may produce temporary difficulty swallowing (and rarely some subtle changes in the voice). Other surgical operations on the palate, such as laser scarring and somnoplasty, do not appear to be very successful in the longer term.

 

Homeopathic Remedies for Snoring

Lemna Minor.  : Due to enlargement of nasal bones.

Hippozaenium : Snoring with swelling and redness of the nose with obstinate catarrah. Cartilages of the bone become exposed. Caries or enlargement of spinal bones.

Opium : Snoring in asthma; apoplexy; coma; puerperal convulsions. Snoring with mouth wide open and chest congestion.