How to combat snoring?You can't even imagine how many people would like to know the answer to this question! And in most cases, this problem worries not the snorer himself, but his loved ones. Which, however, is easily explained - try to fall asleep when someone snores in your ear, and sometimes very loudly. Unfortunately, things usually don't go beyond idle interest - no one ever tries to get rid of snoring, preferring to simply put up with it. And it's a pity - in most cases, with the right approach, it is very possible to eliminate snoring. So why not try? Especially since snoring in some cases can lead to health problems.
What is snoring?
What Most People Know About Snoring, Besidesthat it prevents people around you from sleeping? Almost nothing. But if you decide to fight snoring, you will have to learn everything about it. So, snoring is a loud guttural sound made by a sleeping person. This sound occurs due to the fact that when air passes through the muscles of the palate, pharynx and tongue that are too relaxed, a strong vibration occurs. Single snoring in sleep is a completely normal phenomenon and is characteristic of everyone without exception - men, women, adults, children, and the elderly. In this case, snoring is not even worth your attention, not to mention any treatment. But constant and very strong snoring is a different matter. Such snoring can prevent not only those around you from sleeping, but also the snorer himself - a person's sleep is either superficial or is constantly interrupted. And constant lack of sleep will sooner or later lead to the development of chronic fatigue syndrome and problems with the normal functioning of the nervous system. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to take a number of measures to reduce snoring - normalize the daily routine, give up bad habits, visit a doctor. But let's take everything in order.
The causes of snoring
Now you know that snoring is a vibrationmuscles of the tongue, palate, pharynx, arising from their relaxation. As a rule, all this is also accompanied by a sharp narrowing of the lumen of the respiratory tract. But why does this not happen to all people? Obviously, there are some provoking reasons? Of course!
- Curvature of nasal septum
Normally, the nasal septum in humans is locatedin the middle position or, more simply, in the middle of the nose. If there is a deviation of the nasal septum in one direction or another, the air passes with much greater resistance. As a result - snoring appears, the severity of which depends on the degree of curvature of the nasal septum. In some cases, such a curvature is congenital - as a rule, the child begins to snore constantly almost from birth. And in some cases, the curvature of the nasal septum occurs due to a nasal injury.
- Polyps in the nose
Sometimes the reason for snoring is completely banal -polyps formed on the mucous membrane of the nose. Polyps themselves are not dangerous, since they are just an excessive growth of this very mucous membrane of the nose. As a result, the normal lumen of the nostril narrows several times, which also provokes the appearance of loud snoring.
- Adenoids
Adenoids are enlarged tonsils,which also provoke the development of severe snoring. However, adenoids are very rare in adults - most often snoring develops because of this in children aged 4-10 years.
- Congenital anomalies
Very often a person suffering from severesnoring, does not even suspect that he or she has certain congenital anomalies in the structure of the respiratory tract and nasopharynx. Externally, these anomalies may not make themselves known at all until the person is examined by an ENT doctor. Such pathologies include: a reduced lower jaw, an excessively large tongue, an elongated soft palate, narrowed nasal passages.
- Malignant neoplasms
You shouldn't be afraid in any case, but you shouldn't forget eitherit is not worth it - snoring can occur if cancerous tumors appear in the nasopharynx. As they grow, snoring will only get worse. Moreover, for a very long time, a person simply does not notice any other symptoms of trouble, except snoring.
- Medications
If you start snoring after youIf you have started taking any medications, tell your doctor immediately. Snoring is especially common after taking sleeping pills.
- External factors
Many people have noticed that snoring is the moststrong if you go to bed after drinking alcohol or being too tired. If you don't snore the rest of the night, then you don't need to worry.
Snoring as a signal of danger
It has already been said above that it is raresnoring does not deserve special attention. If snoring is constant, there is a possibility that the person has such a serious disease as obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. With this disease, breathing during sleep is disturbed, up to its complete cessation - from several seconds to several minutes. Most often, the sick person does not wake up at this moment. That is why breathing problems remain unnoticed for a very long time. And this is not very good, because there is always a risk - even if small - of complete cessation of breathing, after which it will never recover. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome has the following symptoms:
- Snore
In fact, loud and prolonged snoring is the most important and obvious symptom of this pathology.
- Stop breathing
Complete cessation of breathing, after which itrecurring after a startle and/or sobbing. The frequency of such attacks can vary greatly - from several times a week to several times a night.
- Nedosyp
Despite the fact that in most casesA person does not wake up during breathing stops, such sleep cannot be called full. Therefore, in the morning a person gets up "broken", during the day he experiences drowsiness and headaches. Most often, sleep apnea occurs in people who are overweight and prone to hypertension. If you belong to this category, immediately after waking up, measure your blood pressure. As a rule, if your breathing stopped during sleep, the pressure will be slightly higher than your usual. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome entails many health problems. Due to the disruption of normal breathing, the body does not receive enough oxygen - so-called hypoxia develops. And hypoxia, in turn, can provoke the development of diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, stroke, and sometimes even sudden death in a dream.
Snoring Diagnosis
Strictly speaking, snoring itself cannot be diagnosed.no need - it is enough to spend the night in the same room with a person. But the reasons leading to the development of snoring must be established as quickly as possible. It is almost impossible to do this on your own, so you need to see an ENT doctor. The doctor will examine you, conduct the necessary research, after which he will be able to accurately name the cause. To begin with, the doctor will conduct a visual examination, which will reveal such problems as any neoplasms of the nasopharynx - benign and malignant, enlarged tonsils, polyps, curvature of the nasal septum. If this is not enough, other examination methods can be used - for example, computed tomography, X-ray. If the doctor suspects that snoring is only a phenomenon accompanying obstructive apnea syndrome, he will conduct a special study - polysomnography. The essence of the research method is simple - During a person’s night sleep, several special sensors are attached to the body, which strictly record a number of indicators: the tone of the muscles of the lower jaw, the intensity of snoring, the saturation of blood oxygen, heart activity, and others.
Treatment and prevention of snoring
After the doctor has conducted an examination andwill determine the cause of your snoring, he will select the optimal course of treatment. Your task is to trust the doctor and strictly follow his recommendations. Most often, snoring is treated as follows:
- Polyps
In case you are found in your nosepolyps, the doctor may decide to remove them surgically. As a rule, removal is performed if there are many polyps and/or they are large enough. In other cases, doctors prefer drug and physical therapy. But if this turns out to be ineffective, the doctor may also decide on the need for surgery.
- Adenoids
If a doctor finds that a snorer hasadenoids, the method of treatment will be selected individually, depending on how much the adenoids are enlarged, the age of the patient, whether there are any concomitant diseases. Treatment can be both conservative and surgical.
- Curvature of nasal septum
If the cause of loud snoring iscurvature of the nasal septum, the doctor will examine the patient very carefully. If the curvature is not very significant, the doctor may advise against surgical intervention. But if the curvature is so strong that it interferes with normal breathing, septoplasty is performed - artificial straightening of the nasal septum.
General recommendations
If the doctor has not identified any pathologies andno special treatment was prescribed, there is nothing to worry about - your health is not in danger. But you really don't want to put up with snoring? What should you do? Of course, fight it! We offer you recommendations, the observance of which in most cases allows you to reduce snoring several times.
- Excess body weight
Snoring most often bothers people who haveexcess body weight. Therefore, it is worth trying to get rid of extra pounds. The benefits are obvious - firstly, you will snore much less. Secondly, you will reduce the risk of developing various cardiovascular diseases - for example, myocardial infarction, hypertension. And thirdly, you are guaranteed a beautiful figure.
- Get rid of bad habits
Alcohol causes narrowing of the upper respiratory tractways, smoking - leads to chronic pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat). And all this, in turn, inevitably leads to loud snoring. As is quite clear, it is best to give up these habits. Well, or, at least, reduce smoking and alcohol consumption to the minimum possible. And you definitely shouldn't smoke one and a half to two hours before bed.
- Duration of sleep
If you want to sleep peacefully and without snoring, try to get a good night's sleep. You need to sleep at least 8 hours a day, in a comfortable bed and in a well-ventilated room.
- Body position
Most often, a person begins to snore whenturns over. This is explained quite simply - the tongue falls deep into the larynx, which makes it difficult for air to pass through the respiratory tract and, as a result, disrupts normal breathing. Therefore, snorers are advised to avoid lying on their backs. But since it is impossible to control your position while sleeping, you will have to resort to a trick. Sew a tennis ball into the back of your nightgown or T-shirt - it will prevent you from turning over onto your back. Of course, for several nights you will constantly wake up and your health during the day will leave much to be desired. But in a week at most, you will get used to sleeping on your stomach or side, and you will not even try to lie on your back. Another way to reduce snoring is to raise the head of the bed. The easiest way to do this is with a blanket rolled into a roll - place it under the mattress. The second option - more effective, but also more labor-intensive - wooden blocks or old books placed under the legs of the bed.
- Exercises for tongue and throat
The best way to get rid of snoring isincrease the tone of the muscles of the tongue and throat. Twice a day, morning and evening, do simple exercises: stick out your tongue and tense it as much as possible, hold it in this position for as long as possible - do five such approaches. Another good exercise: firmly clamp a toothpick between your lips and hold for two minutes.
Anti-snoring devices
Today there are quite a lotmechanical devices that promise relief from snoring. But if you decide to resort to any of them, be sure to consult a doctor first. And start using them only after his approval. The most widespread are the following:
- Stickers on the nose
The most harmless means are specialstickers that are attached to the wings of the nose in such a way that the nasal passages are maximally expanded. This measure significantly facilitates the sleeper's breathing and, accordingly, reduces snoring.
- Polymeric device for treating snoring
This device is fixed in the mouth of the sleeper.person in such a way that it supports the muscles of the oral cavity. The task is the same - to facilitate breathing and eliminate snoring. There are many modifications of this device - ask your doctor to choose the most suitable for you. Although in fairness it should be noted that many people buy such a device, but then refuse to use it - it is too uncomfortable to sleep with a foreign body in the mouth.
- Compressor
A compressor is a device thatprovides a continuous supply of air to the respiratory tract, under low pressure. Strictly speaking, this device cannot be called a means for treating snoring. But for people suffering from severe forms of obstructive apnea, this device will come in handy. Doctors call this type of therapy CPAP.
Drugs for snoring
Oh, if only there was such a pill that I could take -and no snoring… But, unfortunately, there is no such pill. However, there are a number of medications that can reduce snoring, or even eliminate it altogether. But remember that they can only be used after consultation with a doctor, so as not to harm your health and not to further aggravate the situation.
- Remedies for the cold
If you have a constantly stuffy nose, get rid of itsnoring will be almost impossible. Therefore, it is necessary to find out the nature of the runny nose and choose the appropriate remedy for the runny nose. Most often, doctors prescribe vasoconstrictor drops such as Naphthyzinum or Otrivin. But you can't write off allergic rhinitis - in this case, in addition to nasal drops, you will need other medications.
- Good Night Drops
Drops whose name speaks for itself,often allow a person to completely forget about snoring. These drops are intended for gargling - they moisturize the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, expand the upper respiratory tract.
- Silence Spray
If you don't like gargling, you cantry the spray. It contains both vegetable and essential oils, which very effectively expand the upper respiratory tract. The main thing is to spray the spray immediately before going to bed and then not only not eat, but not even drink anything. As you can see, there are many ways to combat snoring - the main thing is to choose the right one. Therefore, if you do not want to put up with snoring for the rest of your life, start acting as soon as possible. Have a quiet night! We recommend reading:
