What are some of the snoring causes?
Snoring is caused by a number of factors. If you are in your middle age, you will be more likely to snore. When you reach the middle age, the muscle in the throat will decrease. The way you sleep can affect your snoring habit. Your chances of snoring will increase until you become 50 – 60 years old. After 60 years old, the chances of snoring will decrease.
Preventive Methods for Snoring
People who rest on their backs are bound to wheeze. When you snore, the upper airway is partially constricted. If you change your sleeping posture, you will be able to prevent the upper airway from getting constricted. There are special pillows designed to prevent you from sleeping on the back. If you are using two pillows to sleep, you should take away one pillow. Alternatively, you can replace the second pillow with a thinner pillow. In this way, you will not want to roll over the pillow when sleeping. Another way to stop snoring is to raise the bed head by using books, magazines and etc.
Obesity can increase your chance of snoring. When you are an obese, your body will store fats in various places including the neck. The excess fat deposit in the throat area can cause you to snore at night. There is a large percentage of people snoring because of having excess tissue in the neck.
Research shows that smoking is a major contributor to snoring problem. Smoking can cause your lung to suffer from respiratory problems gradually. When you inhale the smoke, the mucous membrane of the lung airways will become inflamed. Secondhand smoke can cause the victims to snore as well. Although men smoke the most cigarettes, women who smoke have a higher chance to snore.
Alcohol can relax the body more than when you sleep. After you drink alcohol, your muscle will relax rapidly. The orophanyx located behind your throat will collapse at a rapid speed when you are drunk. Alcohol drinking has a direct relationship with sleep apnea. If you regularly drink alcohol, your snoring problem will become worsen. Besides sedative medicines that are designed to make you sleep can aggravate your snoring problem as well.
Nasal congestion is another factor that contributes to snoring. People who suffer from nasal congestion will have difficulties breathing through their noses. Nasal congestion can be caused by common cold, deviated septum, infection of the sinus, pregnancy, hay fever and etc. If you often perform upside down posture, your nose will become congested because the blood in the nasal passage will become inflamed. When your nasal passage is congested, you can breathe through mouth when sleeping.
Factors Causing to Snore
Snoring can be caused by hereditary factors such as narrow throat and raised palate. If you have an enlarged adenoid, you are more likely to snore. People with jaw abnormalities have higher chances of suffering from snoring problems. Some people are born with the narrower nasal passages. Boys have a higher chance of being born with narrower nasal passage to compare to women.
Snoring can be caused by sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where the airway is obstructed and the patients have difficulties breathing. A person with sleep apnea will snore loudly for a few seconds. After that, there will be a period of silence. During the period of silence, the person will stop breathing. Sleep apnea reduces the size of the airway so that the air cannot flow through it properly. When you are lack oxygen, the level of carbon dioxide will increase. When the level of carbon dioxide increases, your airway will be forced open with a snoring sound. People with sleep apnea problems will experience these breathing patterns repeatedly.
If you regularly snore during sleeping time, you need to schedule an appointment with the local doctor. Snoring can cause you to become sleepy during the daytime because you have to wake up at night. It can also cause your wife to become frustrated with you. Many couples quarrel and have relationship problems because of snoring problems. The noise made by the snoring will irritate the sleep partner and disturb his or her rest. Because of sleep deprivation, you can encounter a traffic accident.
In addition, patients with snoring problems will have problems concentrating. Children who have a snoring problem are likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea can cause children to have high risks of developing attention-deficient/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Before you go to see the snoring treatment doctor, you need to write down the symptoms of your snoring problem. Even if the symptom is not related to your snoring problem, you should record it down. Since you snore while sleeping, you probably won’t know some of the symptoms. You can ask your sleep partner to describe the symptoms so that you can record them down. It is best that your partner go to see the doctor with you. In this way, the doctor can understand your symptoms.
Besides, you should record down all the medications you use. If you are taking a vitamin supplement, you should record down them. If there is any question you would like to ask the doctor, you can write them down on paper. Some of the questions you can ask the doctor include what causes you to snore, tests you need to take to evaluate the snoring problem, side effects of treatment, and etc.
Patients can undergo the sleep apnea test to determine their sleeping patterns. During the sleep apnea test, the doctor will record the breathing pattern of the patient and all the activities the patient does. Once you have taken the sleep apnea test, the doctor can determine whether you truly need treatment. If you are really suffering from sleep apnea, the doctor can suggest a treatment method that suits your needs. The sleep apnea test is conducted at the sleep study center. The doctor will put sensors on different parts of the body. The patient will go to sleep for a few hours while the machine will record all the brain activities. Though the sleep apnea test can be conducted at home, it is recommended that you go to the sleep study center because it offers more accurate results.
When the doctor asks you questions, you need to provide an honest answer. You should not give false answers when the doctor asks you questions. Doing so enables the doctor to effectively evaluate your problem. The doctor has to carry out a physical examination before prescribing you a treatment. He also has to note down the medical history of your family because he wants to find out how severe your snoring problem is.
While receiving treatment, you should abstain from all the substances that can worsen your snoring problems such as alcoholic drinks, sleeping pills, and other types of sedatives. When sleeping, be sure to rest the body on the side. If you sleep on your back, your tongue will collapse back and block the airway. If your nose is congested, you need to get a decongestant from over the counter. And if your partner has a snoring problem and you want to help him, you can suggest home remedies to him. You can encourage him to see the doctor. If you cannot stand the noise, you can use the earplug to block it.