How To Stop Snoring Instantly
Almost half of the adults in America snore. Snoring can disrupt sleep and cause individuals to feel tired, irritable, or groggy during the day. It can also disrupt their partner's sleep! Worse yet, snoring can be a symptom of a serious underlying medical condition, such as sleep apnea or structural abnormalities in the nose, mouth, or throat, including a deviated septum. Other causes of snoring include obesity and exhaustion. This is why it's important to take steps to stop snoring. Doctors often recommend starting with one or more of these effective remedies. Get the details now.
Avoid Sleeping On Your Back
When an individual sleeps on their back, the back of their tongue lies against the roof of their mouth and the opening of their throat. The air that rushes into their lungs when they inhale causes a vibration, which is precisely what a snore is. So avoiding sleeping on your back by keeping a body pillow behind you to help lessen the likelihood of this happening. If you must sleep on your back, consider getting an adjustable bed. Sleeping with your upper body inclined will keep your tongue from lolling against the back of your throat. If avoiding sleeping on your back doesn't stop your snoring, sleep apnea is a real possibility.
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Treat Nasal Congestion
The Journal of the American Medical Association conducted a study that demonstrated chronic nasal congestion was a major cause of snoring. The JAMA study found the incidences of snoring among individuals with nasal congestion was three times higher than for those with clear and unobstructed nasal airways. A doctor can best recommend treatment options for persistent stuffiness, but there are some things patients can try if they experience only occasional or nighttime congestion, such as using non-medicated saline nasal spray or a neti pot before bed. If these methods do not work, or only work for a couple of hours, patients can try a medicine that contains phenylephrine to treat nasal congestion.
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Wear An Oral Appliance
Oral appliances that prevent snoring work by keeping the individual's jaw in a good position. This keeps the back of their throat from closing up, which as we have discussed, is what causes snoring. Oral appliances to help with this look something like sports mouth guards and are available online and from dentists. Patients are generally recommended to see a dentist for one first, because they may decide a custom device is necessary. Otherwise, individuals should look for a commercially available oral appliance described as 'boil and bite.' These guards mold to the individual's mouth for comfort and greater effectiveness. Patients will have to wear an oral appliance every night because they do not permanently fix anything and are only effective when in use.
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Wear Nasal Strips
Nasal strips are helpful for snoring caused by an obstruction in the nasal airway, like a deviated septum or chronic nasal congestion. Many snorers like to wear nasal strips because they're relatively unobtrusive. They are essentially small self-adhesive splints that stick to the nose. Their spring action pulls outward a little on nostrils, giving patients a clear flow of air through the nose when they inhale. There is less chance of snoring when there is good airflow. Individuals can get them over the counter at any pharmacy for just a few dollars, so this may be one of the first things they want to try. Many nasal strips contain latex, so be sure to check labels carefully if allergies are a concern.
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Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Continuous positive airway pressure, often referred to as CPAP, is typically an option only considered when a number of others have proven to be unsuccessful. This method is usually used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, but it is also useful to treat snoring that cannot be treated in a less intrusive way. CPAP machines are pretty expensive and involve wearing a mask on the nose, and sometimes the mouth, all night. The machine that the mask is connected to continuously pumps air under low pressure through the patient's airways. This constant low pressure keeps the back of the patient's tongue and uvula, the dangly thing in the back of the throat, from vibrating against their soft palate. The first night of sleep with a CPAP machine is often spent at a hospital's sleep center so a specialist can set the appropriate adjustments.
When talking to a doctor about snoring and the possibility of continuous positive airway pressure as a treatment option, patients should be honest about how snoring is interfering with their waking hours. Are they tired during the day? Do they have difficulty concentrating? Has their work or relationships suffered? Does their snoring cause them to wake up with a sore throat, aching sinuses, or a headache? These are things patients should bring up to start a productive conversation with their physician.