December 2017

The Health Risks Related to Snoring

Snoring Guard

Snoring Health Risks

Snoring is a sleeping disorder caused due to vibration of the respiratory structures as a result of obstructed air movement during breathing. This can also be the sign or symptom of some serious health issues and can be fatal if you left it undiagnosed or untreated.

Snoring not only just creates loud and unpleasant noises, it can also cause many health problems ranging from heart diseases, stroke, and reduced sexual function, to even early death. Following are some of the serious health risks related to snoring.

Mental Health Issues

Snoring or sleep apnea results in sleep deprivation. This lack of sleep can cause crankiness, dizziness, and anxiety disorder in most of the affected people. In fact, according to a recent survey, people with snoring problem encounter major depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, there are more chances for mood swings in snorers because of their poor sleep patterns.

Complications in Pregnancy

Snoring can be fatal for pregnant women, especially in their last trimester. It is a major sign of their weight gain during the pregnancy period. More than that, it also indicates the chances of fetal complications. It is necessary that the mother should get proper rest for the adequate nourishment and well-being of the fetus as well as herself, but that would be impossible with snoring.

Heart Problems

Snoring can also result in various health diseases, and it is seen especially affecting the cardiovascular system. It can aggravate coronary artery diseases and high blood pressure, which can eventually lead to heart attack. In fact, studies suggest that the chances of having heart attacks are twice in people with sleep apnea. However, clinical researches show that heart-related risks can be reduced if you treat your sleep apnea with an anti snoring mouth guard.

Excessive Weight Gain

Sleep apnea and snoring is a major cause of weight gain and it goes the other way around too. Although it is not necessary to be overweight in general for you to be a snorer, snoring induced lack of sleep will surely lead to excessive weight gain. It is the excess fat around the neck and throat, which obstructs the airway when breathing during sleep and causes snoring. So to address the root cause of the condition, you need to keep your body weight in check.

Nocturia

Nocturia is the condition of getting up to urinate multiple times during the sleep. This is mostly caused due to the loss of control over the bladder and is common for both men and women. This is also related to snoring because the chances for you to consume water are more if you wake up many times during your sleep, which in turn results in Nocturia.

Can Snoring Cause Brain Damage

Snoring Mouth Guard

Snoring And Brain Damage

Snoring gets worse with age and is known to affect a majority of the population. However, loud and persistent snoring can even prove to be harmful to the brain if left untreated in time. Snoring causes lethargic sleep and daytime fatigue. Yet if you or loved ones snore loudly at night, you should understand that there are many health risks associated with the sleep disorder. Below are three ways in which snoring can affect the brain functions.

On a Physical Level

Research shows if OSA is left untreated, it can affect the brain’s shape, neutrons, and even the brain chemicals. An apnea episode in sleep includes breathing cessations, which can last a few seconds to an hour of sleep. Apnea deprives adequate oxygen supply to the brain. That and fatigue combined may inflict a physical damage to the brain apart from depriving sleep. The physical damage caused by apnea may cause stress, memory loss, and may affect the cognition of an individual.

On a Psychological Level

Studies show that heavy snorers, or those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, are prone to encounter memory loss and cognitive disorders at a young age. While it is a proven fact that snoring and cognitive impairment are related, it is yet to be determined if snoring is the underlying cause of the same. Yet again, studies throw findings that indicate treating snoring and apnea can delay the beginning of the health condition.

Sleep Disruptions

Sleep disruptions can deprive you of a good quality sleep at night. Getting adequate sleep would improve the functionality of the brain with respect to memory, creativity, and thought process. Even a power nap can make the person stay alert, so think about getting a peaceful sleep without the loud sound of snoring.

Thankfully, there are remedies for all types of snoring whether due to nasal congestions, a deviated septum, mouth breathing, wisdom teeth, or even a receding throat. If receding throat is causing snoring in you, wear a snoring mouth guard before bedtime. The Mandibular Advancement Device advances the lower jaw and clears the obstructions in the back of the mouth. This facilitates free flow of air and alleviates snoring issues effectively.

You can also try alternative remedies to stop snoring and improve sleep patterns. Moreover, staying agile and fresh by exercising in daytime would also help to clear snoring and improve your overall mental and physical health.

Why Hydration and Diet Matters in Improving your Sleep Quality

Snoring Mouth Guard

Sleep Quality And Hydration

A snoring mouth guard advances the lower jaw forward, facilitates free flow of air, and improves the quality of sleep. The dentists often prescribe the Mandibular Advancement Device for snoring due to a receding jaw. Along with that, if you improve your diet by sticking to the food items, which are recommended in Oral Appliance Therapy, you can recoup from snoring in the best way possible.

Drinking water provides nutrients for each and everyone including those suffering from obesity and even diabetes, which are two common causes of snoring. Consuming water in optimal quantities can help you in coping with snoring issues associated with excess weight or blood sugar. Dehydration causes the mucus in the back of the mouth to thicken when in sleep which can cause a partial blockage in the airway and snoring. That is why you should hydrate your body to get a peaceful sleep altogether alongside the snoring mouth guard.

Even to prevent dehydration people drink vegetables, fruits, and other food containing high amounts of water. Alternatively, you can try using humidifiers in order to keep adequate moisture in the bedroom. This can prevent a dry mouth and throat, but you should also stay hydrated to prevent snoring.

Water is the best way to maintain optimal body fluid levels, and that would affect the quality of your sleep. People who have symptoms of diabetes tend to drink almost half the body mass in water alone for the betterment of sleep, which means a man weighing 90 kilos should drink close to 5 liters of water. Moreover, consider consuming salt water as one of the alternative snoring remedies since excess quantities of water may digest alongside minerals.

You can try to take a quarter tablespoon of salt with a liter of water to avoid that. You can also change the measurements as per your needs, but ensure that salt dissolves adequately in water, since excess salt may also cause dehydration. Once your body starts hydrating, you should also avoid caffeine intake, smoking, and alcohol consumption to tackle snoring gradually over time.

Note that excess sugar intake may also cause dehydration and snoring much like heavy food items such as dairy products and red meat. So abstaining from the lifestyle habits that might affect your breathing as well the tissues in the nose and the throat is always better.

Is Snoring Linked to Cancer

Mouthpiece For Snoring

Snoring And Cancer

You might get mad when your partner kicks you out of bed for snoring. Yet rather than getting mad, you need to get help, as your snoring can be a linked to complex medical conditions like sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which your breathing can become very shallow or even stop for a few seconds while you are asleep. Recent studies show that people who suffer from severe sleep apnea are about five times likely to die of cancer when compared to others. This is as per a new study that was presented at the American Thoracic Society conference.

The study tracked 1,500 people for about twenty-two years and found that mild or moderate snoring can also increase the risk of cancer. People who suffer from sleep apnea will have reduced level of oxygen in blood and to avoid suffocation from the non-availability of oxygen, tumors will grow new blood vessels, says study author F. Javier Nieto, MPH, MD, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.

The extra veins and arteries developed to counter the decreased availability of oxygen will help existing tumors to grow in a fast pace. This means that sleep apnea can provide cancer cells more chances to spread to new parts of the body.

The study has not confirmed if sleep apnea and related sleep disorders can increase the chances of getting cancer or just worsens the existing instances. More research is necessary to confirm the findings of the study. However, snoring can be cause of concern to many people.

Snoring can result in tiredness and daytime sleepiness that can lead to depression, heart problems, increased blood pressure, and accidents. If you are a regular snorer and feel tired during the day, you need to check with your doctor. This is especially important if you are overweight.

If you are suffering from snoring only, your doctor might advice some stop snoring devices like a mouthpiece for snoring. These devices can help you get rid of snoring when used properly. They can move your lower jaw forward to offer unrestricted airflow while breathing during sleep.

In addition, sleeping on your sides instead of sleeping on your back can also help you to control simple cases of snoring. Practicing good sleep habits and using a mouthpiece for snoring can help you easily curb the problem of snoring.

The Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea

Stop Snoring

Sleep Apnea Risks

Sleep is really important for all human beings to wash out all the stress and tiredness of the day. Anything that interrupts your sleep may lead to serious health issues, and in some cases, it can even cost you your life.

One of the main interruptions in sleep is snoring. There are many health risks associated with snoring. At times, snoring can even become life threatening, because for many people, snoring may be a symptom of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is a serious sleep disorder. Furthermore, there is medical evidence that OSA increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke and that can cause premature death. So your life can be in great danger if you left your snoring or sleep apnea untreated.

Below are a few things to note that would allow you to have a peaceful night’s sleep.

  • Pets – It is often seen that people who are obsessed with their pets keep them in their bedroom. This is not good for your health, especially while sleeping, as their constant movement and noises can lead to an incomplete or interrupted sleep. Because of this, people may experience fatigue, headaches, and sleepiness the next day. So always try to keep your pets away from your bedroom, because if they stay nearby your room, you can hear their clawing and growling sounds that could interrupt your sleep.
  • Quantity – It is always the quality that matters, and not the quantity. There is a serious misconception that sleeping more can help you but don’t you forget that too much of anything is not good. Just as lack of sleep may trouble you, oversleeping can cause serious health problems too. Besides, both oversleep and under sleep may make you feel stupefied and weak throughout the day and will not let you concentrate on your routine activities.
  • Quality – You may have noticed that you feel weak even though you had a long sleep. This is because of the interruptions during the sleep. Ideally, it takes an hour to fall in deep and restful sleep after you go back to sleep after an interruption; but if you got interrupted before getting there, your cycle will break and will start all over again. This will cause zero hours of deep sleep and will lead to headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, mood issues, cognitive dysfunction and poor memory.

Apart from keeping an eye on the above points, you should also try a medically approved snoring aid to counter snoring and sleep apnea issues. There are many snoring aids available in the market, but the best solution for the condition is using an anti snoring mouthpiece. As the device holds your jaw frontward and opens the airway to allow uninterrupted breathing, you will no longer be troubled with sleepless nights.

How Sleep Apnea Triggers Migraine Headaches

Snoring Solutions

Migraine And Sleep Apnea

The presence of sleep apnea can hamper the normal sleep cycles of an individual. It can lead to a temporary cessation of breathing due to obstructions in the air passages. This can severely affect the entire health of an individual as such pauses during breathing can lead to a lack of oxygen in reaching the crucial areas of the body. The brain is one such major part of the body that requires sufficient amount of oxygen.

Interfering with the normal functioning of the brain especially during sleep can lead to the occurrence of numerous conditions, mostly headaches. However, it is seen that sleep apnea can trigger not only ordinary headaches but migraines as well. In fact, most specialists are attributing sleep apnea as a major cause of migraine. Mostly, they recommend that those suffering from migraines wear some sort of sleep apnea mouth guard to ensure free airways thus alleviating the problem.

Causes

Sleep apnea affects a person in a number of ways, mostly with the areas in the body that requires an adequate supply of oxygen. Sleep apnea and migraines are bound together by the common attribute of stress. Obstructive Sleep Apnea can lead to blockages in the airways thus leading to disturbances in sleep. This results in the individual to wake up several times during the night thus preventing him/her from having a quality sleep.

Disturbances in the normal sleep cycle can result in the individual to develop various disorders. It can considerably affect the normal functioning capacity of the brain, thus leading to lack of productivity, mood swings, and ultimately, stress. This buildup of stress can trigger migraine headaches in individuals.

Effects

Sleep apnea and the subsequent migraine developed from it can cause several harmful effects on the body. If left untreated it can result in brain damage over time and many other diseases such as hypertension, stroke, and depression. In fact, both snoring and sleep apnea can cause brain damage because of decreased oxygen and blood circulation.

The pauses during breathing can hinder the brain from getting adequate oxygen for its functioning this resulting in irreversible damage to the brain. This paves the way for risks of stroke and the development of other conditions like memory loss.

Treatment

One of the best ways to prevent migraines associated with sleep apnea is to ensure that the airways are clear of any obstructions. Numerous snoring solutions like mouth guards can position the jaws in such a way to facilitate easy breathing free of any obstructions thus offering quality sleep.

In some individuals, the nasal airways and cavities have slight deformities, which can only be treated by the right surgical procedures. Treating sleep apnea and migraines associated with it at the earliest will help prevent any complications such as stroke or hypertension.

Snoring Linked to Behavioral Problems in Children – New Studies Suggest

Snoring Devices

Behavioral Problems In Children

The aftereffects of snoring among children may be more serious and complicated than previously thought. New studies have revealed that there exists a strong link between snoring and the development of certain behavioral problems in children such as hyperactivity and aggression.

In the study, researchers took a sample of children aged between 2 and 33, and found out that snoring among them is linked to a range of behavioral issues. The data obtained from the research indicated that about 35 percent of the children belonging to both ages exhibited such behavioral problems and its associated symptoms.

Such behavioral problems can critically hamper the normal psychological development of the child. It can lead to the development of certain neurological or psychological disorders over time when left untreated that can affect the child’s future considerably. The causes are varying as the studies have shown that snoring among children can result in a lack of quality sleep. This prevents the brain and the nervous system from getting sufficient rest thus leading to the development of many issues.

The studies were conducted across many medical institutions and research centers worldwide. They have all surprisingly arrived at the same conclusion that snoring is certainly linked to development problems in children. Researchers collected data from the parents as well to find out the children’s sleeping patterns, habits, and other activities. Besides, the researchers also conducted a direct assessment of the participating children at repeated intervals to find out any changes in their behavioral patterns.

Snoring can result in the child to experience more difficulty in breathing during sleep. It can also be caused by cold, allergies, or inflammation of the adenoid glands. Such breathing difficulties during snoring can interfere the normal sleep cycles of a child that can result in considerable changes in their mood and behavior. Besides, lack of proper sleep can hinder the normal development of the pathways amongst the neuron cells in the brain.

Such neurological development is crucial in childhood and any interference to the process can result in changes. Thus, snoring among children should be treated seriously, be it short term or long term, and the appropriate medical help should be sought at the earliest. Curing snoring is the best way to ensure the normal neurological and psychological growth of children.

Using snoring devices like anti snore mouth guards is preferred as they fit in promptly into the oral cavities of children. It is a cheaper and non-invasive option and can prevent snoring from occurring in children. Such snoring aids can further ensure the right craniofacial development in the child that will prevent snoring from occurring again in the future.

What Sleepers can do if Wisdom Teeth is the Underlying Cause of Snoring

Snoring Solutions

Wisdom Teeth And Snoring

Snoring occurs due to a partial blockage in the back of the throat and a vibration in the mouth palates. When one inhales and air rushes past, it causes a vibration in the tissues and forces throat to recede back. The consequence of this is the loud sound of snoring.

The underlying causes of snoring are several, such as blockages in the nose due to mucus build up, excess weight around the neck, and mouth breathing. However, not many know that the wisdom teeth, which grow in the back of the mouth, can also lead to snoring issues.

Wisdom teeth are common in people who are above twenty years of old, where the tooth is stuck below the jawbone and go partially under the gingival. The consequences are tissue swelling, tooth pain, etc., and the soft tissue forming above the partially erupted teeth may become infected and cause Pericoronitis.

This medical condition causes pain at night and leaves the person to sleep with the mouth wide open and slack-jawed. This, combined with the inflammation in the back of the mouth, may be troublesome to your sleep. The condition is not necessarily curable by using snoring solutions like the mandibular advancement devices, which advance the lower jaw forward and clears the partial blockage in the airway.

If your snoring is caused by a receding throat, the anti snoring mouthpiece would give a free flow of air. However, wisdom teeth would make you want to try alternative remedies not only to improve the structure of the mouth but also to stop snoring.

Remedies for Wisdom Teeth

If swollen teeth are partial in the gum, then you can try rinsing the mouth using warm water dissolved in salt. Better yet, clear the wisdom teeth before swelling becomes severe, so gobbling the warm salt water in the back of the mouth for 1 minute or so would gradually cure the underlying cause of snoring. However, if you have the condition you should consult with a medical professional and ask for suggestions regarding remedies for Pericoronitis.

The dentist may prescribe you some antibiotics as medication for the condition. However, do not forget the salt-water treatment for mouth sores, as it is equally important for the betterment of your oral health.

Use Anti Snoring Devices to Improve Breathing and Safeguard Relationships

Snoring Devices

Anti Snoring Devices

The healthy respiratory rate of an adult person lies in between 10 to 12 per minute breaths. Each inhaling leads to 500 milliliters of air, and such breathing would provide a healthy amount of oxygen to the respiratory systems in the body. However, those suffering from loud snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea tend to inhale more air than normal people would. If you inhale heavily in a deep sleep state, then chances are you breathe fast and inhale more air than what is considered ideal breathing.

This hyperventilation does not necessarily add more oxygen levels into the blood, and since oxygen is highly saturated, it leads to a reduction in carbon dioxide. In order for the oxygen to release from the erythrocytes, carbon dioxide should be present in the blood cell. Breathing and snoring are related in the sense that snoring leads to bad breath. Loud snoring in sleep is often taken lightly, but is a medical condition that should be looked upon. If not treated in time, snoring may lead to sleep apnea, an increase in blood pressure or even cardiovascular problems.

However, snoring causes some annoyance to the bedfellow. The vibration in the soft palate is often felt in the upper airway and often results in the snoring sound. Snoring is not just loud breathing in sleep triggered due to the intake of more air via a receding throat, it also induces the nasal tissues and the throat tissues to vibrate. That is why you should conduct a measurement and monitor your sleep patterns to know if your breathing is within the safe zone. Loud snoring ranges up to 60 to 90 decibels, which is several notches above the talking decibels, and this is reason enough for spouses to look for anti snoring devices like the stop snoring mouthpiece.

Snoring may affect relationships, but with proper remedies, you can alleviate the health condition. Healthy breathing is always breathing comfortably through the nose and one that is calm. People who breathe heavily at night can encounter apnea symptoms like gasping for breath, and constantly waking up from sleep due to snoring.

If you are a healthy person, your breathing mechanism would also be calm, and your relationships peaceful. If you are facing issues in breathing during sleep or if your partner is complaining of your snoring sounds often, get in touch with an expert and take measures to treat the condition before things get worse.

Sleep Apnea and Shift Work Disorder

Snoring Remedies

Shift Work Disorder

Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement while breathing during sleep. Having said that, in most of the cases, snoring may lead to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is the worst case of the sleep disorder.

In OSA, one will find it really hard to breathe properly and the brain and the rest of the body may not get enough oxygen. There are 3 types of sleep apnea – Obstructive, Central, and Mixed, and the Obstructive type is the most common sleeping disorder among them.

In modern society, almost everybody is employed and most of them are doing shift works, which could be a great concern for your health. Furthermore, a new study states that around 20 million Americans are deprived of proper sleep because of their hectic work schedule. This means that you are disturbing the biological clock of your body, which will cause many consequences including serious sleep disorders. This can be harmful to your health as well as your career, as you could be thoughtless and may run into accidents at work due to sleep deprivation.

Anything that interferes with the amount and quality of sleep as the shift work does can worsen sleep apnea. In addition, scientists have observed that night shift work significantly worsens the relevance of sleep apnea events and the worst case is the fast rotating shifts. Unsurprisingly, patients with mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea can tolerate a short time sleep deprivation, whereas for the ones with more severe disorder, the frequency of apneic events may increase with sleep or wakefulness rhythm disturbance.

A recent study using daytime and nighttime Polysomnograph showed that shift workers experience more frequent breathing pauses while sleeping and higher oxygen de-saturation levels. Both measures showed that shift workers had more severe symptoms of sleep apnea. This is quite alarming considering the fact that such sleep disorders can get worse with time.

Besides worsening sleep apnea, night shift work or the fast rotating shift work, which results in the inversion of sleep-wake schedules, has many other side effects as well, such as:

  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Loud snoring
  • Gastrointestinal disorder
  • Cardiovascular disturbance
  • Diabetes
  • Breast cancer
  • Peptic ulcer
  • Hypertension
  • Myocardial infarction

In short, shift work and sleep apnea are the worst possible combination. So the best way to counter any severe effects of shift work or sleep apnea would be to treat the underlying issue. In case of OSA, there are many snoring remedies, which can effectively treat the condition and offer you a good night’s sleep. Consult with a doctor today to plan a course of action and regain a healthy body and mind.