Non Surgical Treatments For Snoring
Before undertaking any non-surgical treatment for
snoring it is important to measure a baseline in order that you can
know which treatments are offering an improvement and which are not.
This can be difficult to do. For those who have a willing partner to
assist them it may be as simple as asking them to give feedback on
whether or not they notice an improvement once a treatment is under
way. Those who live alone could even resort to make recordings of
their self whilst sleeping in order that they can assess the
effectiveness of any treatments they try.
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Drug treatments fall into three groups. The
first works to stimulate respiration, the second open the
airways and the last works to prevent the patient entering
REM sleep. Now, all stages of sleep have been proven to
health and wellbeing so one must question the validity of
taking any drug that interferes with natural sleep patterns.
Some decongestant inhalers work well to keep nasal
passageways open and these are available over the counter.
Even a simple saline nasal spray will work to keep the
mucous membranes moist and unclogged, thereby reducing
vibrational noise.
There are numerous anti-snoring devices available on the
market including a pillow that forces the snorer to sleep on
their side. Sleep position is known to contribute to snoring
and those who sleep on their backs tend to be worse snorers
so a side sleep position is to be encouraged. |
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Another device to discourage snorers from
adopting a sleeping on their back position is the snore ball.
Whilst there are gadgets available for purchase this can also be
readily improvised from materials available in the home. A small
ball is lodged in a pocket sewn into the back of the snorer’s
night attire and this makes it uncomfortable for them to sleep
whilst lying on their backs.
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The sleeping position is obviously thought to
be a major contributory factor to snoring as yet another
device exists – the sleep position monitor – that registers
a change in position and emits a beeping alarm. The idea is
that the snorer becomes programmed not to sleep on their
back and the alarm can eventually be discarded.
Nasal strips can be purchased which are applied externally
to the nose and act to widen the nasal passages. These are
even being utilized by sportsmen to promote respiratory
efficiency. An alternative device that works on the same
principles is a nasal dilator that consists of a plastic or
metal coil that is inserted into the nostrils before sleep
and acts to keep the nasal passages open during sleep. These
two devices both seem to cut down on the vibratory noise
that many snorers emit.
The market is full of oral appliances, tongue trainers and
even a little device that emits an electric shock when it
senses its wearer is snoring. The stop snoring market is
huge! |
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Another alternative is to examine diet and food
allergies or intolerances. Allergies often affect the mucous
membranes which become inflamed and congested. The congestion
blocks the airway and snoring occurs. Some people have reported
an improvement in their snoring if they avoid dairy products and
others report that vitamin C actually worsens their condition. A
mention of food would not be complete without a mention of
weight loss. There is a direct link between snoring and obesity
or even excess weight. For that reason, once serious underlying
conditions have been ruled out, weight loss should be the first
treatment considered for snoring. Of course, there are numerous
added bonuses to be a healthy weight for your height including
reduced risk of developing many other health conditions.
Avoiding alcohol and sedatives can do a lot to improve a snoring
problem as it is often relaxed tissue that collapses and causes
the obstruction that leads to snoring.
In short, there are many treatments to be tried and tested
before resorting to surgery to cure a snoring problem.
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