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Stop
snoring online: Ways to stop snoring naturally
Stop
Snoring Online
puts together free information on ways to stop snoring .
It is a fact that 90 million Americans snore. Snoring affects more than
15 million
people in the UK.
To successfully learn how and ways to stop snoring, it is important
that you
understand why snoring occurs in the first place.
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Mechanism of
snoring: Although the
anterior part of the mouth
and upper
airways is supported by cartilage or bone, The posterior [back] part of
the mouth and nose, otherwise called the nasopharynx is mainly
supported, and kept open, by soft tissue. This soft tissue is mainly
muscle.
During sleep, we loose a bit of muscle
tone. This loss of tone also
affects the nasopharyngeal muscles, thereby narrowing the upper airways
a little. In some people, this loss of tone causes a critical point to
be reached where there is turbulence in the stream of air flowing in
and out through the nasopharynx. This turbulence causes vibrations of
the nasopharyngeal soft tissue, resulting in snoring.
Causes of
snoring: In your quest to find ways to
stop
snoring it is
crucial to first identify what the cause of your snoring is.
Although most causes are benign it is important to highlight that
snoring may be a symptom of serious disease.
Swelling
of the lining [epithelium] of the airways:
- Cold or Catarrh: These sufferers only
snore when they
have a cold
- Allergic rhinitis: The swelling of
the lining of the
airways causes snoring during periods of high pollen counts
- Smoking: The irritation of the airway
lining causes a
mild degree of swelling
An
excess of soft tissue:
- Obesity: One of the commonest causes
of snoring. Some
of the excess fat is stored around the neck and in the supporting
structure of the neck. This causes a reduction in the space available
to airflow during breathing. The excess fat also weakens the
nasopharyngeal muscles making them more sensitive to the changes in
tone during sleep
- Large Uvula: The uvula is the dangly
thing that you
see at the back of your mouth when you say ah to a mirror. In some
people, the Uvula is quite large. This can fall backwards during sleep,
partially blocking the airway, resulting in snoring.
- Large Adenoids: This is tonsillar
tissue that is
scattered around the back of the mouth. If the adenoids are enlarged,
this can cause a reduction in the width of the airways, again leading
to snoring when the airway muscle tone is reduced by sleep.
- Large Turbinates: The turbinates are
shelves of
cartilage covered by epithelium, found in both nasal passages.
Obviously, enlargement of the turbinates would result in the narrowing
of the air passages making snoring more likely.
- Nasal Polyps or Cysts
- Tumors: Although this is rare, this
is a possible
cause of snoring. A mass, anywhere in the upper airway, has the
potential to critically reduce the space in the nasal passages. Again
this narrowing becomes exacerbated during sleep, because of the
reduction in the tone of the nasopharyngeal muscles. Resulting in
Snoring
- The tongue: when you sleep on your
back, the tongue can fall back causing a partial obstruction of your
airways
Muscle
weakness:
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Strokes
- Any disease that can affect the nerve
supply to the
upper airway
- Alcohol
- Age: the older we get the less toned
our muscles become
Anatomical
variables:
- Deviated septum
- Jaw deformities
- Small nostrils
- Small posterior nares
Snoring
in women:
Women are generally less likely to snore than men. However there are
two circumstances during which an increased occurrence of snoring has
been noted in women
- During Pregnancy: The hormones
produced during pregnancy cause smooth muscle relaxation. Also the
presence of the fetus pushes up on the diaphragm
- After Menopause
The above is just a review of some of the
causes of snoring. In your
case you need to do the necessary research to find out what the cause
of your snoring is.
Identifying the
cause of snoring in any individual case is crucial for
two reasons
- Rule out underlying serious illness
- If you are going to learn how to stop
snoring, it is
important that you identify the cause so that you can use the
appropriate remedy.
Finally you should be clear what type of
snoring you have in your exploration of ways to
stop snoring
- Primary
Snoring:
Also called simple
snoring. In this,
sleep is noisy but there are no episodes of apnoea [stoppage of
breathing]. This is more a nuisance for bed partners than anything
else. Also results in dry mouth in the sufferer. There is no associated
insomnia.
- Obstructive
sleep apnoea:
This is
more serious
because it is snoring associated with periods of no breathing. The
sufferer wakes from sleep, gasping for breath and then goes back to
sleep. This can lead to several interruptions of sleep during the
course of the night. These sufferers are always tired, fall asleep
during the day and experience serious disruption of their quality of
life.
This guide on ways to stop snoring is targeted primarily to people with
simple snoring. If you suffer from Obstructive sleep apnoea you should
consult your physician.
Disclaimer: This is not a medical website
and all advise given is not on a professional level. This site is for
information purposes only. Please consult your physician if you are
concerned about any health related problems you have
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