HELP FOR SNORING
Snoring can disturb sleeping patterns, occasionally leading to sleep apnea, a potentially life threatening breathing condition. Sleep apnea can cause abnormally low blood oxygen levels leading to chronic fatigue, irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, memory loss and strokes. Habitual snorers are three times more likely to get into a car accident than the rest of the population. Snoring is associated with the accumulation of secretions in the back of the throat combined with tissue swelling. This produces a partial airflow obstruction with narrowed airways leading to unwanted, noisy sleep.
CAUSES
Poor muscle tone (lack of tightness) in the muscles of the tongue and throat caused by alcohol, drugs, tobacco smoke or other irritants. Large tonsils, adenoids or excessive bulkiness of other tissues of the throat. Being overweight (associated with excessively bulky neck tissues), excessive length of the soft palate and uvula obstructed nasal airways due to allergies, chronic infection or a deviated nasal septum. Dood allergies, most commonly to milk, dairy products, eggs, wheat, chocolate, citrus or soy cysts or tumors (rare).
TREATMENTS
Adopting an athletic life-style with daily exercise and weight loss, if overweight. Avoidance of drugs affecting the nervous system, especially tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before bedtime. Avoidance of alcoholic beverages. Avoidance of meals within 3 hours of retiring. Establishing regular sleeping patterns. Sleeping sideways rather than on the back, tilting the entire bed with the head upwards. Food allergy testing and elimination of reactive foods. UvuloPalatoPharyngoPlasty (UPPP) surgery on the throat and palate to tighten up flabby tissues and expand the air passages.
COMPLEMENTARY NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
vitamin C, bioflavonoids, cayenne, slippery elm, echinacea, elderberry, eucalyptus, licorice root, ginger root, fenugreek, red clover and yarrow can all offer limited symptomatic relief.
Zoltan Rona
Author