Often a subject for laughter in movies and sitcoms, snoring is no joke to those who suffer from it or for those who sleep with a snorer. Furthermore, snoring is more than just a nuisance to those involved. Untreated, it can lead to sleep apnea, a potentially life threatening condition.
There are various reasons why people snore and many approaches to treating it.
Why do People Snore?
Snoring is a common condition but it can be a major source of stress for couples or for those who sleep in the vicinity of a snorer.
However, it can be more than an irritation. If not treated, over time it can turn into sleep apnea, a condition that can be life threatening in that it contributes to cardiovascular disease, obesity and accidents.
There are several types of snoring, and each type has a different cause. When the type of snoring is determined, an appropriate treatment or remedy is likely to prove effective.
To understand how treatments for snoring work, we need to first understand the cause of the noise that occurs when someone snores. In most cases, this sound is produced by vibrations from the small tissues located at the back of the throat. The back of the throat has constricted or tightened, causing the air to move through at a higher pressure than we normally find.
Risk Factors
The throat area constricts for a number of reasons. In some situations, the person may have been born that way. However, there are various risk factors which increase the likelihood that the soft tissues will constrict. The most common of these risk factors include overweight. When a person has excess fat, there will be excess fat in the neck area as well as elsewhere. This is particularly true for men, and this excess fat constricts the area, leading to snoring.
Obesity is but one risk factor of snoring. Other risk factors include age. Snoring increases with the number of birthdays under your belt. Alcohol consumption also contributes to snoring. Smokers are more at risk of snoring than are non-smokers.
Various Types of Snoring
Before looking for a way to stop snoring, it is wise to identify the type of snoring that affects you.
Mouth Snoring
People who are mouth snorers often tend to breath through the mouth at all times. There are a few things you can do to decide if you are a mouth snorer. The easiest approach is to make a snoring sound with your mouth open. Now try to make it again with your mouth shut. If you are unable to make the sound with your mouth shut, there is a good chance you are a mouth snorer.
If this is the case, one obvious solution involves keeping your mouth closed when sleeping. You can get mouth guards and chin strips to help with this.
Nose Snoring
Nose snorers, like mouth snorers, snore through their mouths. However, the cause is different. These people have challenges breathing through their noses, and this leads to snoring. As no doubt you are aware, people who are not typically snorers will often snore when they have a head cold and the nasal passages are blocked. With people who snore regularly, nose snoring can be a matter of anatomy. Their airways are constricted during sleep so they breathe through the mouth.
Allergies can also be the culprit if you snore through your nose. For example, snoring caused by an allergy to dust may be alleviated by regular and frequent washing of pillows and bedding.
Nasal strips often provide a remedy to nose snoring. You use two layers of strips and an adhesive which pulls out the skin on both side of the nose. This opens your nasal airways and the snoring ceases.
Tongue Snoring or Throat Snoring
In come cases, people who snore do so because their tongue lies far back in the throat during sleep. To test for tongue snoring, try making a snoring noise as usual. Then place your tongue between your teeth and try again. If you cannot make the sound when your tongue is between your teeth, chances are that you are a tongue snorer.
Tongue snoring can be remedied by finding a way to keep the tongue away from the back of the throat. Natural treatments for tongue snoring include using a gum shield that holds your jaw in a certain position and stops the tongue from falling too far back.
It is also possible that tongue snoring is related to dental problems. You may want to discuss this (and the solution) with your dentist
Treatments and Remedies to Stop Snoring
There are various solutions to help people stop snoring – ranging from natural remedies to surgical solutions. Obviously, the first approach is to address any lifestyle factors that may be contributing. This would include weight management, smoking cessation and limiting or eliminating alcohol consumption. If these issues are not addressed your efforts to stop snoring will be greatly hindered.
Next, understand that some solutions work equally well regardless of what type of snoring you are experiencing. Stop snoring exercises are perhaps the easiest and most natural thing to try. They have proven effective for many people.
If that is not effective, you might try a number of aids that are intended to help people stop smoking . These anti-smoking aids will often help reduce or eliminate snoring as well.
If exercise, lifestyle modification and smoking aids do not work, there are many other things you can try.
Although some solutions work for all snoring types, it is usually helpful to identify your type of snoring and find an aid that is intended for that type. You risk making your snoring worse if you use the wrong aid.
For example, if you breathe through your mouth due to nasal congestion, you would not be helped by wearing a device that holds the mouth shut. In this case, your snoring could get worse.
More about the Stop Snoring Mouthpiece
As its name suggests, a stop snoring mouthpiece is an item that you wear in the mouth during sleep.
Various brands of mouthpieces are available on the marketplace. Each manufacturer’s device is different and has a somewhat different design. Most of them are similar, however, in that they resemble a two-piece gum shield.
These stop snoring mouthpieces work by holding your jaw in a certain position. This prevents the constriction of the airway discussed earlier. When you keep the airway open, the pressure is lessened. In turn, the soft tissues do not rub together or vibrate. Since this vibration causes the snoring sound, the snoring does not occur.
Stop snoring mouthpieces have proven to be quite effective for most people. However, it will depend on the make that you use. Some makes lock the jaw firmly in place. Others permit some mobility. Some makes completely prevent mouth breathing while others have small holes for breathing. Some models are rigid and some are flexible. What works for one person may be less effective for another. Comfort will be a factor as well.
You may have to do some experimenting to discover if a mouthpiece will work for you, and what make of mouthpiece is best.
At one time, stop snoring mouthpieces had to be obtained from a dentist. Today, home use models are available in many locations. If you can buy a home use model, you may want to try that first. The cost saving is substantial.
There are people who dislike using mouthpieces because they feel unnatural or uncomfortable in the mouth. Some worry that they might swallow the device in their sleep. Although the latter will not happen, the worry can keep you awake. In this case, it is probably best to seek out an alternative approach.
The Alternatives
Alternatives include items such as pillows, pills, strips and injections.
The Stop Snoring Pillow
You may have heard this pillow referred to as a sleep apnea pillow. It is simply a pillow with a special design intended to prevent snoring. When this pillow proves effective, you do not need any other anti-snoring devices.
The stop snoring pillow has many features that contribute to a snore-free sleep.
To begin with, they are made from memory foam. This is a material that keeps its shape after being pushed out of shape. Regular goose down or other traditional pillows cannot offer this feature. Also, many individuals are allergic to regular pillows, or to house dust occurring in regular pillows, as discussed earlier. A memory foam pillow is often hypoallergenic.
Next, a stop snoring pillow encourages an ideal position of the jaw while you lie on your back. Snoring tends to be most prevalent when the sleeper is lying on his or her back. In this position, the jaw assumes a position that restricts the airflow. With a stop snoring pillow, you are unlikely to fall into this position so you avoid snoring.
Some of the stop snoring pillows prevent you from sleeping on your back in the first place. People who prefer to spend at east part of the night on their backs will not appreciate this feature.
The top rated stop snoring position available today is a new addition to the marketplace. Japanese manufacturers have developed a pillow that senses when the snoring starts and alerts you by vibrating.
The vibrations are gentle enough that you do not become fully alert. You simply move your sleeping position and the snoring ceases.
Another Alternative: Stop Snoring Pills
To many snorers and their partners, a stop snoring pill sounds like a dream come true. There are indeed pills that may contribute to a lessening or cessation of the snoring. They must be used with care.
Stop snoring pills are drugs. Since snoring is a complex situation with more than one cause, there is no such thing as a simple drug that can zero in and instantly cure someone’s snoring. There are drugs that may help alleviate the cause of the snoring, however.
As an example, if the snoring is caused by allergens in house dust, mites or pollen, drugs such as antihistamines and corticosteroids can reduce the swelling and constriction that takes place in the airways. Consequently, the airways stay open and the snoring is prevented.
You will also find a number of products being advertised as natural pills to stop snoring. Some people claim that these pills have been effective. Proceed with caution, since there are no clinical studies that prove their ability to stop snoring.
First, you will encounter various types of herbal pills alleging they will prevent snoring. These pills are prepared from natural herbs and plant enzymes said to prevent inflammation of the airways.
Also, there are homeopathic remedies claiming to prevent snoring. There is considerable controversy surrounding these products. Some swear that they work and others disagree, saying there is no evidence to support the claim.
Relatively few snorers use pills and medication to stop snoring. Most seek out other, more reliable methods.
Stop Snoring Spray
Some inflicted with snoring have found relief in a stop snoring spray.
Stop snoring sprays are intended to be used at bedtime. The sprays lubricate the soft tissues found at the back of the throat. Some sprays also contain anti-inflammatory products designed to keep the airways open.
For the most part, stop snoring sprays are natural and made from essential oils. The oils cause the temporary lubrication which in turn prevents the tissue vibration that causes snoring.
Some essential oils used in stop snoring sprays are menthol , which is believed to be helpful to the airways. However, there is no solid clinical testing to support this belief.
When reading the list of ingredients in a stop snoring spray, understand that elaborate ingredient names do not necessarily mean the product is more effective. For example, you may find Citrus Limonum listed as an ingredient. This is the botanical name for lemon oil.
To use a stop snoring spray, you should refer to the manufacturer’s instructions. With most, all you have to do is spray three times toward the roof and back of your mouth. This is usually enough to last throughout the night.
If you want to do-it-yourself, you could try making your own nasal spray using essential oils.
Other stop snoring sprays are nasal sprays, meaning you squirt them into your nose. Some people find this uncomfortable at first, but often get accustomed to it in time.
Some people report a small stinging feeling when they first begin using stop snoring sprays. This usually lasts for a few nights then disappears.
Aside from stop snoring exercises, stop snoring spray is often the lowest priced of all of the anti-snoring devices and aids. The price will vary depending on where you live. In the US, you may pay approximately ten dollars for a bottle that lasts six weeks.
Because of the low price tag, many people use sprays as their first attempt to cure their snoring.
Snoring Nose Strips
Snoring Nose Strips are another alternative to try. They look like a plaster or a band-aid that you apply to a cut or blister. Nose strips incorporate flexible bands. After you apply a band on each side of your nose, then take your fingers away, the nostrils walls are pulled outwards. This opens up the nasal airway, preventing snoring.
To understand how this works, picture an ordinary garden hose. When you step on it, you prevent the water from moving through. Remove your foot, and the water flows freely. The nose strip works in a similar way.
These aids are extremely effective if nose snoring is the type of snoring being addressed. Nose snoring, if you recall, happens because the nasal passages are constricted. However, snoring nose strips can make throat or mouth snoring worse.
If your snoring is related to a blocked nose, then the snoring nose strips can help you. However, you are advised to look for ways to prevent the nasal congestion in the first place. It could be an allergy triggering the problem.
Stop Snoring Injection
This procedure is also known as injection snoreplasty. It is not simply a needle in the arm, as you might think (or hope). In fact, the stop snoring injection is made into the uvula. The uvula is the soft flap of flesh hanging from the back of the throat.
The injection is performed under local anaesthetic so you remain awake during the procedure.
The active ingredient in the injection is a substance once used for treating varicose veins. Depending on where you live, the product may or may not be approved for the treatment of snoring. It works by burning the soft tissue with a chemical. As the tissue heals, scar tissue forms and this scar tissue cannot vibrate.
Although it may sound intimidating, this procedure is said to be painless. Patients return home immediately and can eat and drink in under an hour.
However, the results are temporary. At best, this approach may be effective for about a year. At that time, it will require a repeat injection. Up to three injections a year are possible.
This injection is a new procedure, but a promising one. A small clinical test with sixty patients showed that forty experienced significant relief.
This procedure is not advisable to persons whose snoring is related to sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a different and more serious medical condition. You will find information about sleep apnea snoring at this link.
The cost of the stop snoring injection will vary, depending on where you live. In the US, expect to pay anywhere from two hundred to three hundred dollars.
Stop Snoring Surgery
Surgical procedures are available to help people stop snoring. Since surgery is a radical approach, it should be attempted when other methods have proved ineffective. All surgeries, including this one, have an element of risk.
The standard stop snoring surgery is known as Uvulopalatoharyngoplasty . In recent times, alternative approaches have become available.
Uvulopalatoharyngoplasty involves the surgical removal of excess tissues at the back of the throat. As explained earlier, these soft tissues are linked to snoring for two reasons: first, they cause a high pressure constriction in the throat and secondly, by vibrating in unison. When you remove the tissues, you solve both problems.
Uvulopalatoharyngoplasty tends to be effective. Almost everyone opting for this procedure reports that the snoring has decreased. Fifty percent have a complete cure that continues throughout their lifetime. Unfortunately, the other fifty percent have some remaining symptoms to a lesser or greater degree.
A surgery such as this also has side effects. Patients typically have discomfort and difficulty swallowing for several days. There are usually no lasting side effects, but a small percentage do experience scarring, pain and voice change.
Other Procedures
Since uvulopalatoharyngoplasty comes with risks, alternative surgical procedures have been developed.
Laser-assisted uvulopalatoharyngoplasty is one such method. With this approach, the surgeon uses a laser to modify the uvula and soft palate. This procedure is less costly than the traditional uvulopalatoharyngoplasty, but medical professionals are not sure whether the success rate and complications are any different.
Radio frequency tissue ablation is another new innovation. With this method, surgeons change the uvula’s shape and tone, or perhaps even unblock a congested nose. The side effects are minimal and the treatment does not require a general anaesthetic.
The financial aspects of the above mentioned surgical treatments will vary, depending on location and the amount of work that must be performed. A ball park figure could range from five hundred to two thousand dollars.
Summary
To sum up, snoring is a complex condition. There are various types of snoring and various causes. Many treatments and remedies are available, ranging from simple, but often effective exercises to surgical intervention.
While snoring is often viewed as a nuisance rather than a medical condition, it should be taken seriously. Untreated snoring can lead to sleep apnea, a potentially life threatening condition.
