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Snoring is the act of making a snorting sound while asleep. It can be caused by several factors, such as being overweight, the anatomy of the mouth and sinuses, chronic allergies, and consuming alcohol or taking sedatives at bedtime. When you progress from light sleep to deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth tongue, and throat relax, making you snore. The hoarse sound while snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe.
Understanding Snoring
It is a common problem that occurs when air cannot flow freely through the nose and throat during sleep. This causes the surrounding tissues to vibrate, producing sound while sleeping. While occasional snoring is not a serious issue, chronic snoring can be a sign of a more serious condition called sleep apnea, which requires medical attention. In this article, we will focus on natural remedies for mild to moderate snoring.
Nearly everyone snores now and then, but for some people, it can be a chronic problem. Lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, avoiding alcohol at bedtime, or sleeping on your side, can help reduce snoring. There are certain medical devices also available that may reduce disruptive snoring.
Symptoms of Snoring
Loud snoring is often characterized by a loud snort or gasping sound. It is accompanied by any of the following symptoms like breathing pauses during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, difficulty in concentrating, sore throat upon awakening, restless sleep, and high blood pressure.
Causes of snoring
Here are some common causes of snoring in bullet points:
- Overweight or obesity
- Sleeping on your back
- Age-related muscle weakness
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking
- Allergies or congestion
- Sleeping pills or sedatives
- Enlarged tonsils or adenoids
- Deviated septum or other structural abnormalities in the nose
- Sleep apnea
- Poor sleep habits or irregular sleep patterns
- Stress or anxiety
- Medications that relax the muscles
Snoring diagnosis
To diagnose your snoring condition, the doctor will review your symptoms, and medical history, and then perform a physical examination. He may ask your partner some questions about your snoring patterns to assess the severity of the problem. You would be required to undergo certain medical tests such as imaging, a computerized tomography scan, or magnetic resonance imaging MRI. These tests check the structure of your airway for problems, such as a deviated septum.
Depending on the severity of your snoring and other symptoms, your doctor may want to conduct a sleep study. You may be required to stay overnight at a sleep center to undergo an in-depth analysis of your breathing during sleep by a study, called polysomnography.
Remedies for snoring
Snoring treatments range from natural remedies to medication, and surgical procedures. You can start with lifestyle changes like losing weight, treating nasal congestion, avoiding alcohol, and sedatives close to bedtime and avoiding sleeping on your back.
You can also explore the option of using oral appliances like dental mouthpieces that help advance the position of your jaw, tongue, and soft palate to keep your air passage open, according to this Dentist in Raleigh. You can also explore the option of using oral appliances like dental mouthpieces that help advance the position of your jaw, tongue, and soft palate to keep your air passage open.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is another remedy for snoring that involves wearing a mask over your nose or mouth while you sleep. The mask directs pressurized air from a small bedside pump to your airway to keep it open during sleep. Certain surgical procedures seek to open the upper airway and prevent significant narrowing during sleep through a variety of techniques.
Tips to Get Rid of Snoring Naturally
Here are some tips to help you reduce or eliminate snoring naturally:
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: Being overweight or obese is a common cause of it. Excess weight can put pressure on your airways, making it harder to breathe during sleep. Losing weight through a healthy diet and exercise can reduce snoring and improve your overall health.
- Sleep on Your Side: Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to collapse to the back of your throat, narrowing the airway and causing this. Sleeping on your side can help keep the airway open and reduce snoring. You can try using a body pillow to help you maintain a side-sleeping position.
- Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: Alcohol and sedatives can relax the muscles in your throat, making it more likely for you to snore. Avoiding these substances, especially before bedtime, can reduce snoring.
- Practice Good Sleep Hygiene: Establishing good sleep habits can improve your overall sleep quality and reduce snoring. This includes getting enough sleep, sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, and avoiding caffeine and heavy meals before bedtime.
- Use Humidifiers and Essential Oils: Dry air can irritate the throat and cause snoring. Using a humidifier in your bedroom can add moisture to the air, reducing snoring. Additionally, essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint can help open up the airways and reduce snoring.
Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Snoring
In addition to the tips mentioned above, there are several natural remedies you can try to reduce or eliminate snoring:
- Honey and Ginger: Mix a teaspoon of honey and ginger in a cup of warm water and drink it before bedtime. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation in the airways, while honey can soothe the throat and reduce it.
- Turmeric Milk: Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of warm milk and drink it before bedtime. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation in the airways and improve breathing.
- Throat Exercises: Strengthening the muscles in your throat through exercises can reduce snoring. Simple exercises like singing, playing a wind instrument, and doing tongue and throat exercises can help tone the muscles in your throat.
- Steam Inhalation: Inhaling steam before bedtime can help reduce congestion in the nasal passages and improve breathing. You can add essential oils like eucalyptus or peppermint to the steam for added benefits.
- Peppermint Tea: Drinking peppermint tea before bedtime can help reduce it by opening up the airways and improving breathing.