Snoring is caused by a narrowing of your airway, either from poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in your throat. A narrow airway gets in the way of smooth breathing and creates the "snore" sound. By learning the causes and cures for snoring, you can improve your health, your relationships, and, of course, your sleep.
If the airways in your nose and throat are narrowed during sleep, the air you inhale and exhale has to push its way through a smaller passage. This can create a "snoring" noise, mostly due to vibrations of loose tissue in the back of your throat.
Snorers often have too much throat and nasal tissue, or "floppy" tissue that is more prone to vibrate. The position of the tongue can also get in the way of smooth breathing, as can being overweight – extra fat tissue in the neck and throat can obstruct airways.
Snoring can be mild, meaning that the snoring stops when the snorer wakes up and turns over, or severe, when the snorer suffers from continual snoring, regardless of sleep position.
Causes and risk factors of snoring vary. Some are in our control, and some are not.
Causes out of our control
• Heredity – You can inherit a narrow throat, or any of the physical deformities mentioned above, which can cause snoring.
• Being middle-aged or beyond – As you age, your throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in your throat decreases.
• Being male – Men have narrower air passages than do women and are more likely to snore.
• Allergies, asthma, a cold, or sinus infections – Such breathing problems cause blockage in your nasal airways and make inhalation difficult. This in turn creates a vacuum in your throat, and noisy breathing.
Causes within our control
• Being overweight or out of shape – Excess weight and fatty tissue in the neck cause your throat to become smaller. Poor muscle tone and lax muscles also contribute to snoring.
• A history of smoking – Smoking (or exposure to second-hand smoke) relaxes muscles and also creates nasal and lung congestion.
• Medications – certain medications increase relaxation of throat and tongue muscles, which makes snoring more likely.
• Sleeping posture – Sleeping flat on your back allows the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.
Tip: The way you snore can help you diagnose why you snore!
If you snore…
With your mouth closed: a problem with the tongue is probably the culprit
with your mouth open: your snoring is likely related to the tissues in your throat.
How to Cure Snoring with Natural Treatments
• Home remedy for snoring: Drink half a cup of milk before you go to bed.
• Eat yogurt daily to help with the snoring.
• Sleep on the side.
• Before bedtime eat one slice of bread with some kind of spread.
• Don't drink coffee before bedtime.
• Drink Eucalyptus tea as natural remedy: Soak 2 teaspoons of eucalyptus leaves to a boiling cup of water drain and drink to prevent snoring.
• Do not smoke.
• Do some sports during the day (not too close to bedtime).
• Lose some weight.
Avoid certain foods, and sedatives before bed.
You may be taking sleeping pills or tranquilizers to help you sleep, but be aware – these sedatives also relax your muscles.
Avoid high-fat dairy milk products or soy milk products before sleeping. Non-skim milk products and soy milk products, because of their thickness, can keep mucus from draining properly. The result is mucus retained in the throat, which can lead to snoring.
Clear your nasal passages
Having a stuffy nose makes inhalation difficult, which in turn creates a vacuum in your throat, and noisy breathing. In fact, people who seldom snore often find themselves snoring quite loudly when suffering from allergies or a cold.
Nasal decongestants can help you breathe more easily through your nose while sleeping. There are also homeopathic solutions available, like nasal strips that claim to "open" the nasal passages. On the other hand, you should avoid antihistamines for allergies or stuffiness. Antihistamines relax the throat muscles, which can in turn cause snoring.
Diagnosing snoring
Most people seek treatment for snoring because a bed partner alerts them to the problem. However, those that sleep alone often find it more difficult to determine if they snore. If you wake in the morning and do not feel rested after a reasonable number of hours of sleep, it may be a sign that you are snoring.
If you suspect that you snore, you can see a sleep specialist or any physician that specializes in sleep disorders. This doctor will examine your throat, nose, mouth, palate, and neck, and check for underlying health conditions. The doctor may also enrol you in a test at a sleep clinic, where experts can observe your sleep patterns and diagnose your snoring problem.
To get diagnosed for snoring, you can go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor.
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