Snoring is a common problem nowadays, mainly due to an unhealthy lifestyle that negatively impacts your body. For example, smoking, drinking alcohol, eating unhealthy food at odd hours, working longer hours, excessive physical tiredness, overwork, sleeplessness, and other similar activities induce snoring and increase the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart attack.
None of these can be controlled in a single day or two, and as a result, they necessitate a closer examination and a significant change in your daily routine.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is a type of sleep apnoea; however, not everyone who snores has sleep apnoea. Air cannot flow freely through your nose and throat if the upper airway is partially closed or has a stricture. This results in the throat’s tissues vibrating when air particles pass through them while you’re sleeping, causing the unpleasant noise commonly referred to as snoring.
Snoring Comes in Many Forms
Allergies and colds, being overweight, drinking alcohol before bedtime, sleeping position, and the way your mouth and sinus’s structure are the factors that can lead to snoring. The tongue, throat, and mouth muscles relax as you drift off into a deeper sleep. However, they loosen in some circumstances, partially blocking the airway and causing the tissues to vibrate. The more your airway narrows, the more your tissues vibrate, and you snore loudly.
It’s essential to figure out what kind of snorer you are before looking for anti snoring remedies. There are four types of snoring, depending on what is causing your airway to close or narrow:
Snoring Types
- Mouth Snoring: This sort of snoring occurs when you breathe through your mouth rather than your nose while sleeping. An obstruction in the nasal passageways, swollen tonsils, or weakening palate tissues could be the cause. Snoring caused by nasal obstructions caused by a deviated septum or other physical impediments can cause you to snore. Certain drugs, colds, dust and pet allergies, and nasal stuffiness are also possible reasons that might lead to snoring.
- Throat Snoring: This type of snoring is both the loudest and the most harmful of the four. Sleep apnoea is the most common cause of throat snoring. Throat snoring, if left untreated, can lead to diabetes, hypertension, and stroke.
- Tongue Snoring: mainly affects people who sleep lying on their backs. This sort of snoring occurs when the tongue relaxes too much and slips back into the throat, blocking airflow. Tongue snoring is more common for people who drink alcohol or take sleeping pills.
- Tongue snorers: are known for their inconsistent high-pitched sounds.
- Nose Snoring: Even when you’re awake, breathing via your nose can be challenging. Your snoring resembles a grunting sound or a loud whistle.
The snoring that should cause the most concern is throat snoring, as it could indicate a more serious underlying issue. The other three categories are not as severe because they are generally simple to treat. In addition, a variety of snoring remedies is readily available, either by prescription or over-the-counter.
Difference Between Sleep Apnoea and Snoring
Snoring and apnoea are both considered sleep disorders since they directly disrupt the nasal air passage. This is as the reactions that occur in the body are comparable but not identical. The most obvious method to identify the difference between sleep apnoea and simple snoring is how you feel during the day after sleeping poorly. Regular snoring has less of an impact on the quality of your sleep than sleep apnoea, which means you’re less likely to experience extreme weariness and sleepiness during the day as a result of it. However, you should not neglect the symptoms and consult a doctor immediately if you or your partner sees any signs of sleep apnoea, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Traditional methods of diagnosing snoring and apnoea include clinical examinations to analyze the patient’s breathing patterns while sleeping. When a person snores loudly or wakes up owing to a lack of oxygen, doctors will take note of the symptoms and treat them accordingly.
Also Read: Anti Snoring Solutions that Provide Snoring Relief
Snoring Remedies
The following are some of the remedies for snoring:
- Daily exercise: Exercise offers numerous health benefits, including the reduction of snoring. If you put in the effort and stick to a strict weight-loss routine devised by a trained expert, you would notice results quickly.
- Getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep: Proper sleep contributes to proper body functioning. Whether you are getting enough sleep each night affects everything from digestion to blood circulation. Try to get up to 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Keep your bed, pillows, and home clean: Poor hygiene is one of the most common reasons for snoring. Unless pillow coverings are cleansed, dust particles settle in and build a home there. When you sleep, these dust particles obstruct your breathing by obstructing the airway inside of you. It is advisable to get therapeutic pillows with proper pillow covers that prevent dust from settling or trapping inside the fabric.
- Clearing nasal passages: If you have a stuffy or dry nose, rinse it before going to bed. Nasal strips can help you with breathing. Allergies to dust or even pet hair can cause sinus problems.
- Using a chin strap and a mouth guard: These are also simple snoring treatments. During sleep, a mouth guard is placed on your lower jaw or tongue. Meanwhile, a chin strap maintains your jaw in place and helps people who sleep with their mouths open.
- Keep the air in your home moist: Dryness irritates the inner membranes of the throat and nose, therefore keep the humidity level in your room moderate.
- Sleep in a different position: Elevating your head four inches can help you breathe easier and bring your tongue and jaw forward. In addition, you can prevent snoring by using specially constructed pillows that ensure your neck muscles are not crimped.
Snoring, besides being disturbing, can be a sign of a serious underlying health problem. As a result, you must seek medical attention immediately. Your doctor would recommend you suitable anti-snoring gadgets and treatments to stop snoring while you sleep.
