Snoring can be harmful to your health by preventing your from getting a good night’s sleep – whether your are the one doing the snoring or the person having to listening to the snoring. It can become a serious medical condition if the snoring is associated with sleep apnea, where the person’s snoring actually stops his breathing and causes him to gasp for his air.
Sleeping next to a snorer can take a toll on you health. It’s like having someone constantly stand there waking you up throughout the night and depriving you of sleep. You may experience a level of fatigue and sleepiness that is the same as that experienced by the snorer. You might also get very irritable – from not having a better sleep – and feel guilty for getting angry at the person who may not be able to control his snoring during the night.
Finding a solution for second-hand snoring is difficult. Some spouses of snorers found earplugs a simple and effective treatment but this is not always practical, especially for couples with young children. Other couples resort to sleeping in separate rooms to get the sleep they need and to save their marriage.
Snoring is so common a sleep order that about one-third of adults seek treatment for it every year. Snoring could be a sign of a more serious sleep disorder called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Snorers are linked with a number of health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes. OSA is characterized by occasional interrupted breathing during sleep, which causes the sufferer to regularly being awaken, disturbing the deep sleep that he needs for good health.
Snoring is caused by abnormal airflow over the soft tissues of the throat, resulting in a loud vibration. The abnormal airflow could be caused by one or many factors, such as collapse of the tongue to the back of the throat or collapse of the walls of the throat, an enlarged tonsil, a congested nose or a misaligned jaw.
Depending on the cause of your snoring, nasal strips and oral appliances can sometimes work to correct the airflow. These aids keep your nasal passages or airways in your throat open to allow your breathing to continue without interruption. Some snorers get relief using dental appliances that open up the airway, or surgical treatments that reduce the size of the soft palate.
People who are overweight may suffer from snoring more often than those who are not. Shedding pounds is often enough to shut down the snoring cycle for good. Some people have resorted to sewing tennis balls in the backs of their pajamas to forcibly keep them on their side, since snoring is more prominent when the person is lying on their back.
If sleep apnea is an issue, where your snoring fits suddenly stop with your breathing until you gasp for air, then you might want to consider undergoing a sleep study so you can be fitted for a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. This mask pumps air into your airways, keeping them open to prevent snoring and interruption of breathing. Often, treating sleep apnea can help reduce snoring and snorers should be evaluated by a sleep specialist.
Weight loss can also improve sleep apnea, although many snorers aren’t overweight. There is a strong relationship between weight and snoring because of the extra fat deposits in the back of the throat narrows the airway. The muscles around the airway also get floppier and more likely to vibrate if they are fatty.
As a last resort, you might consider getting surgery to address your snoring issues. All three surgeries aim to do the same thing – remove tissue obstructions to help you breath better during sleep, but each one uses a different technology.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the common surgery done under general anesthesia where the doctor trims your airways of tissue that could be obstructing your breathing.
Uvulopalatoplasty, or laser surgery, is another option where a laser beam is used to remove your uvula. It removes excess tissue just like traditional surgery, allowing air to flow without the loud, disruptive vibrations snoring usually produces.
Somnoplasty, which is also known as radio frequency tissue ablation, is when a surgeon uses low intensity radio signals to take out part of your soft palate – enough to end snoring and allow air to flow freely.
Talk to your doctor if non-surgical remedies aren’t working and see what type of options he or she can offer to help you (and your loved ones) find some peace and quiet during the night.
Read About The Other Forms of Sleep Disorders:
Sleep Eating Disorder
Sleepwalking
Night Terrors
Sleep Talking
Sleep Attack
Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Insomnia
Sleep Apnea
Periodic Limb Movement Disorder