March 2018

Stopping Snoring with Acupuncture

March 28, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Snoring And Acupuncture

Snoring is a major health issue in the country nowadays, and one that can cause other health problems as well. It is also known to make spouses angry the world over, when they have to share a bed with a snorer, almost always causing the latter to have to wear a snore guard.

The treatments for snoring vary widely, and include oral devices as well as invasive surgeries. You also have many alternative therapies, which have been shown to either reduce the severity of snoring or cure it altogether. One of these is acupuncture.

How Acupuncture Can Help to Stop Snoring

Chinese medicine, which is the source of acupuncture, holds that snoring happens because the Qi of the affected person is weak. Qi is the life force, which combines the harmonic flow of yang and yin energies. So if Qi gets blocked somehow, it needs redirecting.

If you are dealing with a mild or moderate snoring problem resulting from soft tissue falling limp or excessive mucus, there are acupressure points, which can be stimulated to fix the energy imbalance. This will bring back harmony to the body, and resultantly strengthen the Qi.

Acupressure tends to focus on two points: the throat and the sinuses. Some people have chronic allergies, which lead to nasal passage inflammation, which in turn causes snoring. The nasal tissue that is inflamed will cause obstruction in the nasal passages, rendering them unable to function the right way. Sometimes, the channels that remove the mucus from the sinuses can get narrowed as a result of sinusitis, which also blocks airflow.

Acupuncture seeks to remove the edema in the tissue as well as drain the blocked mucus. When done right, it also aids blood circulation, which means nutrients and oxygen are transported to the tissues for fast repair. In acupuncture, there are points associated with relieving sinus pressure. The first of these is along the eyebrow, where the eye meets the bridge of the nose. Another is on either side of the nostril openings, while yet another can be found adjacent to these points, at the base of the cheekbones.

If you are dealing with pressure in the sinuses, but do not have the time or inclination to go see an acupuncturist, it is easy to locate these points and massage them yourself. This will provide temporary relief from the problem. There are acupuncture points that specifically target the immune system, which are believed by some to reduce snoring problems. For instance, Chinese medicine holds that the spleen/pancreas meridian is associated with the immune system.

Researchers Say Fat Deposits in the Tongue Causes Snoring and Apnea

March 26, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Solutions

Sleep Apnea And Fat Deposits

If loud snoring is causing a sleep disturbance not only for you but for your bedmate as well, then it may occur due to fat buildup in the base of the tongue. Researchers say that the fat deposits in the tongue may cause the muscles to constrict the airway, in turn, leading one to snore heavily during sleep. This also serves as an explanation as to why obese people snore more and encounter sleep apnea episodes, which is characterized by not just snoring but also by breathing pauses that may last for a few seconds to up to an hour.

If you are obese and snore at night, it is best to get a screening done to diagnose sleep apnea, a disorder where the throat muscles recede back into the mouth during sleep. Apart from increasing the size of the tongue, the fat deposits may affect how muscles attach the tongue to the bone as well. This prevents the adequate tongue positioning away from the breathing passage and induces snoring in sleep.

Earlier, medical practitioners used to say that it is the fat deposits around the neck, that causes snoring in obese people in particular, but this revelation may seem startling to all. Sleep specialists say that the size of the tongue is an important physical aspect of the health issue, which is best analyzed by an expert physician when screening is done on obese people to diagnose the possibility of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is linked to chronic conditions that affect respiratory functions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and even mental health. Due to that early diagnosis and ideal treatment is a must to manage the said risk factors associated with sleep apnea. If fat buildup in the base of the tongue is diagnosed, physicians recommend a surgical procedure to clear the fat deposits. This is done to stop the tongue from collapsing back into the throat and help to maintain its proper positioning for normal breathing.

If you are snoring due to other causes such as excessive fat deposits around the neck and a consequential receding tongue problem, a common remedy to try to alleviate that is using an anti snoring mouth guard. The mandibular advancement device worn on the mouth advances the lower jaw forward, clears the constrictions in the upper throat, and makes breathing easy. As the stop snoring mouth guard is clinically approved, it poses no risks of side effects on the patient.

Can an Anti Snoring Mouthpiece and Dental Implants be Used Together?

March 22, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Solutions

Snoring And Dental Implants

It is a receding jaw while sleeping that contributes to a constricted airway and snoring sound, which occurs when breathing air rushes past the upper throat and the tissues vibrate against the upper surface of the mouth. Most mandibular advancement devices work on the same principle of advancing the lower jaw forward to clear partial airway blockages in the throat. A snoring mouth guard worn on the lower front teeth advances the mandible by applying an inward pressure on upper teeth.

If your snoring device doesnt help, you should go to a local health clinic for better results.

Not all mandibular advancement devices are created equal, but better-built snoring mouthpieces use boil and bite technology, which provides a much comfortable fit. Such kinds of mouthpieces require the snorer to have strong lower and upper front teeth though. Manufacturers of such anti snoring devices often endorse using it for advancing the lower jaw. However, if you have missing or loose lower front teeth or use dentures holding the teeth intact to improve stability, it is best to consult the dentist to know if a mouthpiece can be worn alongside that to alleviate snoring.

Occasional snorers often ask whether mandibular advancement devices can be worn together with non-removable partial denture or full dentures with dental implants. Note that it might be uncomfortable wearing full dentures in particular and the mouth guard to stop snoring. In a general sense, if the partial implants are put on the front portion of the upper or lower teeth, it will be tough to use a snoring mouthpiece alongside that. So it is worth paying a visit to the dentist in order to know if a mouthpiece may prove to be the best fit when it comes to reducing snoring.

Maybe you have a dental crown or a dental bridge placed over an implant for providing an artificial shape that resembles a row of teeth. If you wear that, it is worth wondering if wearing an anti snoring mouth guard may involve severe pain. When it comes to non-removable partial dentures, the answer may depend on the teeth crown or bridge and the health of the natural teeth remaining in the mouth.

Generally, those having dental crowns or bridges at the gum’s rear would find using a stop snoring mouthpiece much comfortable when compare to those who have had dental treatments done on the front teeth.

How OSA Can Indirectly Cause Stroke

March 20, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Anti Snoring Remedies

Sleep Apnea And Stroke

Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA is a condition where the breathing of a person gets interrupted while they are sleeping, with this happening as many as 100 times in an hour. This disorder mostly comes on in people over 40 years of age, and in those who are overweight. It is seen that more men than women have this problem, which becomes equally probable as age progresses.

Sleep Apnea is known to be the cause of a variety of cardiovascular, behavioural, and neurological problems, such as heart attacks, lack of concentration, depression, high blood pressure and poor memory. It is also seen to be a risk factor for strokes. It can be treated using a mouthpiece for sleep apnea.

What is Stroke?

A stroke happens when some part of the brain gets deprived of blood and oxygen, from any number of reasons. This can be caused by a blocked or narrowed artery to the brain, or even a burst blood vessel in the brain. Low oxygen levels in the blood and brain can be caused by the breathing interruptions seen in OSA. The most probable kind of stroke to result from sleep apnea is ischemic stroke, where the blood supply to the brain is lessened.

If you Have a Stroke While Asleep

Stroke risks that result from sleep breathing are very dangerous. In such a scenario, a person who fell asleep early in the night, can have a stroke, and not know about it until several hours later. If it has been more than three hours after the stroke came on, then you have passed the time for intravenous blood clot dissolution. This means the damage caused by the stroke cannot be reversed. It is not uncommon to sustain severe brain damage or even die as a result of such a stroke.

If you Suspect a Breathing Problem

There may be one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, or maybe you were told by a loved one or sleeping partner that you snore a lot at night. The best way forward is not to take these observations lightly, and to get to a primary care physician as soon as possible. They can refer you for a sleep study, which will show if you have OSA.

It stands to reason that treating both snoring and OSA can greatly reduce your risks of developing stroke, especially while asleep. Not only that, but it is also a great way to stop snoring, ensuring a better quality of life.

What is the Relation between Snoring and Psoriasis?

March 17, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Solutions

Psoriasis And Snoring

Snoring is the sound produced as a result vibration in the respiratory structures because of the restricted airflow during breathing. On the other hand, psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by the red patches and itchiness on the skin.

The Relation between Psoriasis and Snoring

Sleep apnea, a sleep disorder in which people stop breathing repeatedly, has been reported in most of the people who are affected with psoriasis. This is because people affected with psoriasis are more likely to be awake most of the time at night and are prone to end up with sleep disorders.

Solutions

The people affected with psoriasis are prone to depression, which causes sleep disorders, or it can be the other way around as well. So, the main solution to tackle this is to consult a doctor as soon as you feel any sleeping disorder symptoms. They will conduct various tests to find out the root cause and will provide appropriate treatment. Minor sleep issues can be treated using anti snoring mouth guards, but medications will be required if you are at high risk.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting disease, and hence, it is not easy to treat it fast. In most cases, drugs that induce sleep are given to the patients so that they can have a peaceful sleep. There are some other tips that are suggested by almost every doctor, especially for psoriatic people for a comparatively better sleep. Some of them are listed below.

Follow a Sleep Schedule

The time you go to sleep and wake up plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy sleep cycle. Most people sleep at different times every day. This will disturb your internal body clock and result in many sleeping disorders. So, follow a healthy sleep schedule.

Turn off your Gadgets

Most people are addicted to their gadgets nowadays and find it difficult to sleep without browsing through something on their device. This can affect your sleep cycle very badly. So, keep all your gadgets away while at bed; it is also recommended to keep your room dark and quite for a comfortable and peaceful sleep.

Avoid Taking Naps

People usually take naps during the afternoon, which is not a good practice. This may keep you active during daytime, but will probably keep you from sleep during the night.

Wear Cotton Gloves

Wearing gloves while sleeping may cause some discomfort at first. However, this is an ideal solution to prevent you from scratching your skin due to itchiness.

Avoid Stimulants

Most people have a habit of bedtime coffee. The caffeine in your coffee is a stimulant that keeps you from sleeping. Similarly, consuming alcohol, drugs, etc., before sleep time will also disrupt your sleep.

Some of the Best Ways to Get Rid of Snoring

March 14, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Solutions

Getting Rid Of Snoring

In the US, over 90 million adults snore in their sleep. Additionally, 59 percent of the population has a partner who snores at night. Millions of these people are in search of a cure to the persistent problem of snoring, and that is after having tried and failed with the more traditional methods. These days the issue is one to be taken very seriously, and to be addressed in a similar manner.

Most doctors would tell you that snoring is not just an annoyance, but, in fact, a condition that brings along serious health consequences. Ignoring the former means ignoring the latter as well. If you know a person who snores at night, then it is probably high time you got them to do something about it.

Snoring Solutions to Address Snoring

Oral or Dental Devices: The main goal with these is to get rid of the obstruction in the airways, for which the main reason is usually the tongue. If this is the cause of snoring or sleep apnea, then a mandibular advancement device can be used. It forces the lower jaw forward a bit, and consequently moves the tongue’s base away from the back of the throat.
Tennis Ball: Snoring almost always results from sleeping on your back, which causes the tongue to fall back into the throat. One way to combat this is to attach a tennis ball to the back of your nightshirt so you will sleep on your side. Eventually, sleeping that way will become a habit.
Tongue Aerobics: One of the causes of snoring and sleep apnea is muscle weakness, especially in the tongue, upper throat, and mouth. You can perform exercises for strengthening these muscles, mainly targeting the ones used for chewing and swallowing. It has been proven that doing a few tongue exercises each day can bring down the chances of snoring at night.
Pillow Change: You may have allergens in the room or in your pillows, which cause you to snore. In such cases, you would feel fine during the day. You may even be having an allergic reaction to the material on your pillow.
Nose Cones: You can place these in each nostril to expand it. The technique works similarly to nasal strips, but there is none of the irritation of removing the latter come morning.
Nasal Sprays: Using these regularly can help eliminate bacteria, which may be causing obstructions in the nasal airway.

3 Ways to Prevent Snoring While Sleeping on a Long Flight

March 12, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Tips To Prevent Snoring

Snoring while sleeping on an international flight or a long domestic flight may disrupt fellow passengers, who will most likely be anonymous to you. Much like bedtime snoring at home, you will need to take precautions with respect to lifestyle changes and use effective snoring remedies that alleviate the condition even when flying. Below are some tips to help you control snoring while flying.

Keep Yourself Hydrated

If you are used to consuming alcoholic drinks or beverages that have a high volume of caffeine, it will cause dehydration, which leads to snoring. That is because dehydration causes the throat to dry up and causes the membranes to release mucus in the throat.

The mucus buildup can obstruct the airway and that contributes to snoring. That is why you should stay hydrated over the course of the flight by drinking enough water, which will soften up the mucus stuck in the airway.

Wear Flight Socks

Wearing specialty stockings help to prevent the blood clots due to immobility of the feet, something that is part of long-distance air travel. That is why travelers tend to get thigh-length compression stockings when on a long flight. When wearing flight socks, wear it on both legs to squeeze the calves just so excess fluid will not build up in the lower part of the legs.

Certain studies indicate that fluid buildup in the lower legs can shift up to the neck at night, especially if you are prone to deep vein thrombosis. This can constrict the airways and can influence how much one may snore. In a way, wearing the flight socks helps to reduce the probability of deep vein thrombosis.

Wear a Snoring Mouth Guard

An anti snoring mouthpiece advances the lower jaw to alleviate snoring issues. When one falls asleep, the jaws relax causing the tongue to fall back into the mouth, and this makes the airway narrower. As a result, the soft tissues in the throat vibrate against the roof of the mouth when air rushes past while breathing. Advancing the mandible helps to eliminate that root cause of snoring sound.

Since anti snoring mouthpieces are portable and come with retrofit options, it is advisable to take it along during your air travels and get the highest possible level of comfort during sleep.

Can Sleep Apnea Cause Heart Diseases?

March 8, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Stop Snoring

Sleep Apnea And Heart Diseases

Sleep apnea can be simply defined as one of the most common sleeping disorders that results in a momentary stop in breathing, which happens regularly while you are asleep. If you or any of your loved ones are regular or loud snores, then there is a good chance of you developing this sleep disorder at some point in your life. Therefore, you will need to take necessary preventive steps to stop or reduce your snoring issues.

Most healthcare providers will initially ask you to make a few lifestyle changes and cut the consumption of dairy products to stop snoring. However, if these snoring solutions do not work for you, healthcare providers might ask you to use a snoring mouth guard while you are asleep. These efficient and medically proven snoring solutions will help you relieve yourself from snoring and sleep apnea at a rapid pace.

It is significant to note that some individuals hope that their snoring issues will be solved with the passage of time. The reality is that snoring issues will get a lot more dangerous if you fail to take necessary steps to prevent them. Moreover, recent studies conducted by experts in the field of medical science revealed a shocking conclusion that patients who suffer from sleep apnea are at a higher risk of falling prey to heart diseases.

An expert molecular cardiologist, David Van Wagoner, Ph.D. talked about the relation between sleep apnea and snoring and said, “It’s likely that sleep apnea can cause arrhythmias and heart failure because if you have sleep apnea, you tend to have higher blood pressure.” You might be a little bit surprised to hear the fact that approximately 50 percent of individuals with atrial fibrillation or heart failure have developed sleep apnea.

Reena Mehra, MD, Director of Sleep Disorders Research in the Sleep Center of the Neurologic Institute at Cleveland Clinic said, “There is a very strong association between sleep apnea and cardiac arrhythmia. Research also shows episodes of upper airway collapse in sleep apnea may trigger arrhythmia events.”

Dr. Mehra added, “It is important to note that typical obstructive sleep apnea symptoms such as daytime sleepiness are sometimes absent in heart failure. Also, symptoms of central sleep apnea are oftentimes more difficult to detect.”

How to Measure the Amount of Sleep in a Snorer

March 6, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Measuring Amount Sleep

Snoring is the condition in which the affected person makes a sound due to the vibrations of the soft tissues in the throat. This vibration happens because of restricted airflow while breathing during sleep. There are different levels of snoring though; it can be mild as well as fatally serious. That is why you should never take the health issue lightly and seek medical attention as soon as the symptoms are noticed.

Levels of Snoring

Snoring, that occurs due to a mild resistance in the airflow within the upper airways, is not associated with any sleeping disorders. However, if the resistance is increased again, the awakening from sleep will get more prominent. Still, this is not that serious to cause a decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood and this condition is known as respiratory effort related arousal.

If the resistance increases even more, it will be hard to maintain the proper oxygen level in the blood as a result of the body’s efforts to provide adequate ventilation. This makes the affected person’s sleep more fragmented and there will be frequent disruptions during sleep. This condition is known as hypopnea syndrome.

Ideal Tests to Measure Sleepiness

MSLT (Multiple Sleep Latency Test)

This test will help to measure how fast someone will fall asleep during the daytime. MSLT is usually conducted after doing a sleep study for the night and the test comprises of at least 4 to 5 naps that last for 20 minutes within a frequent interval of two hours.

The average time required for the person to fall asleep in all these tests are taken into account – 10 minutes or more is considered as the normal time required for a person to fall asleep. If the person takes only 5 minutes of below to fall asleep, it is a sign of excessive sleepiness.

MWT (Maintenance of Wakefulness Test)

This test also measures the daytime sleepiness. Here, the patient is instructed to stay awake and 4 sessions comprising of 40 minutes with an equal interval of two hours is conducted. This test is especially done in employees in the Department Of Transportation like pilots, drivers, etc.

Why Snorers Must be Evaluated

As said, you must not take your snoring problem lightly; it can be an indicator of many serious medical conditions too. For instance, sleep apnea or gasping for breath during sleep may indicate heart-related problems, while jerking movements while sleeping may be a signal of restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder. Hence, it is necessary to conduct a sleep study to rule out these fatal disorders.

The Link between Asthma and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

March 3, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Sleep Apnea And Asthma

Apnea and asthma are quite common in kids and adults. Having either one of the health conditions may increase the likelihood for the other one to develop in people. In case, one suffers from both asthma and sleep apnea, it will have an influence on how the person responds to treatment options for both.

One reason for that is apnea and asthma have some common risk factors, that increase the likelihood one may develop, either of the conditions or make it tough to manage one condition if one exists. Obesity or being overweight, nasal allergies to dust mites, GERD, and metabolic risk factors of obesity including diabetes are associated with asthma and OSA.

People suffering from severe asthma, in particular, are prone to develop Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Likewise, it may prove to be tough to get asthma in check if sleep apnea is left untreated in a person. Henceforth, apnea patients run the risk of being susceptible to develop asthma over time.

Both health conditions affect the breathing process. OSA is a form of sleep-disordered breathing that occurs when the upper airway collapses recurrently during sleep, which blocks the free airflow. The flow of air is lessened in case of asthma as well, but typically in the lower airways that supply oxygen to the lungs. Asthma-related breathing difficulty will not occur only in sleep usually, but the symptoms do tend to worsen at night.

Once the flow of air is partially blocked, it leads to swelling of the tissues, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which is characterized by a response to sudden increases in the oxygen levels. These responses to asthma and OSA symptoms are quite similar.

If one part of the respiratory tract is blocked, it will make the respiratory tract’s other parts susceptible to collapse at night or prone to inflammation indicate research. This may prove to be an even serious concern if one has shared risk factors of both asthma and apnea.

Both conditions can cause disruptions during sleep if the symptoms are not kept in check, which may lead to not feeling properly rested or refreshed, and lapses in concentration in the daytime. Getting sufficient sleep is significant to manage the associated symptoms. Besides, some researches even indicate that treating OSA in time may improve consequences of asthma if the patient responds well to the apnea treatment.