First, let's try to figure out whatleads to the occurrence of snoring. After all, snoring is just a consequence of something. And it is stupid to eliminate the consequences without knowing the causes. What is snoring? In essence, these are the sounds that appear when air passes through the narrowed walls of the pharynx. In most cases, such a narrowing is a consequence of weakened muscles of the tongue and palate, which support the walls of the pharynx. And in sleep, this relaxation reaches its maximum.
- Age of the person
In most cases, snoring makes itself known withage, as the muscles of the palate and tongue age. Because of this, they are no longer able to keep the airways properly open. Although, of course, this phenomenon is not observed in all elderly people. But this factor should not be written off.
- Features of the structure of the human pharynx
In some cases, snoring can be caused bybe nothing more than congenital anatomical features of the pharynx structure. In such cases, snoring begins to make itself known at a tender age of the baby - in the first month or two after birth. But do not confuse pathological snoring with light snoring, which can occur in any baby.
- Nasopharyngeal diseases
In some cases, snoring can be caused bythat a person has problems with the nasal passages. Such problems include polyps, a deviated septum, or congenital narrowing of the nasal passages. Moreover, even an incorrect bite and an elongated uvula can be the culprits of snoring. This may seem strange, but in fact, everything is quite natural, because everything in the human body is closely interconnected.
- Drinking alcohol and heavy fatigue
Perhaps you have noticed that very oftena person who is in a state of alcohol intoxication begins to snore. Even if this is usually noticed. Why does this happen? It is explained very simply: in a state of alcohol intoxication, the muscles relax, which is why snoring occurs. By the way, the same thing happens if a person goes to bed too tired. As a rule, such cases of snoring occur episodically and do not deserve concern.
- Excess body weight
Snoring is often observed in people who have excess weight.weight. As you know, excess body weight has a very negative effect on human health. And snoring is one of these manifestations. And it occurs because fat is deposited in the neck area and compresses the airways. To get rid of snoring, it is necessary, first of all, to reliably establish the cause that caused its appearance. And only after that can you begin to treat snoring. Of course, if the situation requires it. In such cases, you need to contact a somnologist or otolaryngologist for medical help. Only he can accurately determine the causes of snoring in adults and select the appropriate treatment. As a last resort, if you live in a small town and do not have such specialists, you can contact a general practitioner.
Get rid of snoring
Let's look at the existing methods,which will effectively treat snoring. And we will start the conversation with the simplest methods that are available to anyone at home. These measures to combat snoring are absolutely safe, so you can safely try them on a snoring person without fearing for his health.
- Man's pose during sleep
Most often, snoring makes itself known at the moment,when a person lies on his back. Of course, it is very difficult to get rid of the habit of sleeping like this on your own, and sometimes it is almost impossible. Therefore, there is a good method invented by some folk craftsman. Sew a tennis ball into your pajamas or T-shirt, in the back area. As you yourself understand, you are unlikely to be able to sleep on your back in such clothes. Of course, at first your sleep will resemble continuous torture. But you should not give up this method. In about a month, you will get rid of the habit of sleeping on your back forever.
- Exercises for the language
It is necessary to perform a special complexexercises aimed at strengthening the muscles of the tongue and soft palate. First exercise: open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue. Moreover, the muscles need to be strained as much as possible. Repeat this exercise 30 times, two approaches per day. Then try to relax the jaw muscles as much as possible, for about 30 seconds. After that, take an object in your teeth and squeeze it hard for 5 minutes. A carrot is best suited for this purpose. And finally, relax all the jaw muscles again for a couple of minutes. Of course, it would be naive to expect an immediate result. But after about a month of regular performance of these exercises, you will notice the first positive results. A lasting effect will occur after 3 months. But even after this, you should not relax: repeat the exercises at least three times a week to keep the muscles in good shape.
Mechanical devices for getting rid of snoring
One type of such assistants is somewhat reminiscent ofpacifiers for babies. They are located inside the oral cavity. Constantly touching the tongue, the device constantly keeps the muscles tense. There is another assistant that resembles a boxing mouth guard in its appearance. The device is made in such a way that the lower jaw is significantly pushed forward. This measure allows you to significantly increase the patency of the airways, thus reducing the likelihood of snoring. But this device is quite expensive, since it is made individually for each person. But we must not forget that all intraoral mechanisms are designed to eliminate mild snoring, in other words, for the one caused by weakened muscles. But if there are any problems with the nasopharynx, you are unlikely to get rid of snoring in this way. Therefore, you will simply waste money and time. But when snoring is caused by some disease, it must be treated as quickly as possible. If your doctor believes that the cause of snoring is a congenital narrowing of the nasal passages, special stickers that are attached to the wings of the nose will come to the aid of the person. They hold the wings of the nose in a certain position, thereby maximally expanding the nasal passages and facilitating breathing.
Pharmacological preparations
To get rid of snoring, you cantry using special pills. However, remember that these pills can only be used for short-term use, for example, when you have to travel by train or undergo hospital treatment. The first results are noticeable after a day, but the main effect occurs on the second or third night. Often, having tried the pills once, a person begins to take them constantly. However, doctors are categorically against regular use of these drugs - they are allowed to be taken no more than five days a month.
Operative methods of treatment of snoring
If snoring is caused byanatomical features of the nasopharynx, the treatment will be more serious. The doctor will conduct a thorough examination of the patient and decide on the advisability of surgical intervention. There are two main types of such operations:
- Nasal septum
If the cause of snoring isdeviated nasal septum, in some cases a simple operation aimed at eliminating this defect is enough. Many people are afraid of the word "operation" and refuse it. However, this intervention is extremely simple - after it you will forget about such a problem as snoring.
- Soft sky
In some cases it is necessary to resort tosurgical intervention on the soft palate. The purpose of this operation is to reduce its size. This will help to avoid such a problem as sagging palate, which leads to the development of snoring. There is no need to be afraid of this procedure - the operation lasts only 15 minutes and does not cause the slightest discomfort to a person. General anesthesia is not used in most cases, and working capacity is restored quite quickly. As a rule, such a measure is very effective. However, sometimes the improvement is temporary, since the muscles of the palate can weaken again at any time. To prevent relapses, it is worth periodically doing muscle strengthening exercises, which have already been described above. Such a measure will help reduce the risk of relapse by 50-60%. It is enough to do these exercises 2-3 times a day. Snoring can be caused by a large number of reasons, and it is very difficult to determine the current one on your own. Therefore, be sure to consult an appropriate specialist. In no case should you ignore this problem, even if your snoring does not bother anyone in any way. In addition to the fact that snoring can indicate the presence of certain diseases, it can also entail some complications, sometimes quite serious. For example, due to the fact that snoring complicates the process of normal breathing, hypoxia - oxygen starvation - can develop. And in especially severe cases, respiratory arrest can even occur. Therefore, the problem of snoring should worry not only the person who snores, but also those who are near him. After all, the person himself may not know about the existing problem. Therefore, in this case, delicacy is not the best solution. In any case, whatever the causes of snoring, you can almost always get rid of it. We recommend reading: