July 2018

3 Common Tips Dieticians Give to Help People Alleviate Snoring

Snoring Aids

Tips To Stop Snoring

Snoring occurs when the jaws relax during sleep, causing a partial blockage in the upper airway, and forcing the soft tissues vibrate against the roof of the mouth. The sleep-disordered breathing or the snoring sound can be a cause for annoyance to the person sleeping beside you. It is said that even those who snore, although they not aware of it, wake up momentarily hearing the noise, only to fall back and resume sleep.

There are many ways to clear snoring, including exercising and making changes to bad lifestyle habits, which possibly leads to it, but it is important to make dietary changes to bring a difference to your sleep quality. It may even help to meet a dietician and talk about your snoring and it is likely he or she may recommend you the following changes to your diet. Together with anti snoring aids that advance the lower jaw forward for a free flow of air, ensuring healthy diet and making recommended changes to the lifestyle can bring about a peaceful sleep.

Reduce Salt Intakes

To be precise, you would have to abstain from eating anything that is high on salt. They may include salty biscuits, snacks, and even salty or cheesy popcorn. Excessive salt consumption can build body fluids. As a result, when you lie down on the bed, the fluids in your body make its way up to the neck and that narrows the upper neck airways. So, it is best to avoid salt in the daytime and even before bedtime.

Consumption of Dairy Products

A dairy product such as cheese or consuming milk straightaway can build up mucus in the throat as well as in the airway passages. This can hinder the normal breathing process, even more if you consume milk or dairy products right before bedtime. If you cannot abstain from using dairy items, consider avoiding it at least after having dinner, or try soy milk as an alternative.

Say No to Alcoholic before Bedtime

The throat muscles have a tendency to sag even in an averagely healthy person, but if you drink alcohol before going to sleep, it can relax throat muscles even more so as to cause snoring. An easy fix is to avoid alcohol completely, but this is a suggestion if you cannot make that change quickly and unexpectedly.

Everything you May Want to Know about Snoring

Snore Guard

Facts About Snoring

Snoring occurs when the lower jaw relaxes during sleep causing a blockage in the upper throat and making the soft tissues vibrate against the roof of the mouth. Well, the sleep-disordered breathing condition is a little more complicated than how popular culture takes it – sometimes with sarcasm too.

If you are a frequent snorer, the effects it causes to the body include everything from dehydration in the morning and jadedness in the daytime. Sleep deprivation is a common occurrence among those who snore, yet if you do not treat the condition in time, it is likely to pose risk factors for several health conditions, which mainly include Obstructive Sleep Apnea and heart diseases.

It is rather unfortunate that those who snore frequently do not even know the issue is bothering their health. There are several ways to keep tabs on snoring though, including using an application for that, but the best way is to tell your bedmate to monitor your sleep patterns. Oftentimes, the excessive tiredness during the day and other things such as headache can be confused for other health concerns. So, you may as well consider getting a medical checkup to know if you are a snorer.

Snoring affects the sleep quality of not just the person who experiences it, but also the person sleeping beside the snorer. Since snoring is the sort of health condition that leads to loud noise and even bad breath, it is important to treat it to get a peaceful sleep and avoid other issues that may snowball. The snoring sound is known to pose a risk of hearing impairment too, which is why it is best to seek medical help to diagnose and treat the issue as early as possible. Depending on how the diagnosis goes, the doctor may even recommend you non-invasive snoring remedies.

What to Take Note of before Self-Treating Snoring

Of course, if you are going to get professional help to treat nighttime snoring knowing the cause, you are in trusted hands to an extent. However, if you are planning to counter the snoring problem by self, note that not all over-the-counter snoring remedies are created equal and work perfectly in all cases. In other words, it is important to understand the underlying cause that leads to snoring in your case before using any anti snoring aid.

Nighttime breathing can become difficult if there is a cold or stuffy nose, teeth grinding issue, or even allergies. So, try to understand as much as you can about snoring prior to treating it. Talk to your doctor about everything you feel awkward about your present health – even the minutest of things you ignore during checkup may be the underlying cause. Tell what you feel and do not give inklings for misdiagnosis to doctors.

Snoring Remedies

Snoring Related Issues

For instance, “I grind teeth” is a better way to express your symptoms to a doctor than “I grind teeth probably because of anxiety or stress”. The last part is unimportant to the snoring discussion; treating that is a matter of being specific.

Other Things to Know about Snoring

Your habits also contribute to the quality of life. Commonly, most snorers are overweight – not that only obese people snore, but if you are 20 pounds more than the reasonable weight, that can potentially lead to snoring problems.

Millions of people snore habitually during sleep. It is seen that the physical attributes that cause snoring, such as narrow throat, swelled adenoids or cleft palates, may be inherited from previous generations. What’s more, it is estimated that this health condition affects men more than women.

Tried and Tested Remedies to Treat Snoring

Fortunately, several remedies are available in the market to help you overcome snoring in due course. The key to treating snoring in time is to rely on not just the right remedy, but that you persist with the one you feel the most comfortable to use. Note that not all snoring remedies are one-size-fits-all solutions. Still, there are non-invasive and clinically proven anti snoring devices such as a snore guard or a mouthpiece that can help in treating the condition in most cases.

Anti snore guards are mandibular advancement devices, which are medically proven safe and effective to alleviate the sleep-disordered breathing problem. These snoring remedies aid in a better flow of air by ensuring that the mandible is not sagging. That can bring a difference to your sleep quality and daily activities, making you agile and fresh.

The snoring mouthpiece worn during sleep is not going to be a painful remedy for snoring, as doing a surgery in the throat to eliminate the tissues from vibrating. Besides, it is affordable to buy a snore guard over-the-counter or without a doctor’s prescription. Most of the snore guards come with the approval of Food and Drug Administration too.

Why Obese People Snore and How it Can Be Controlled

Snoring Devices

Weight Loss And Snoring

When the lower jaw relaxes during sleep, it causes a block in the upper airway, and when the inhaled air rushes past the constricted airway, it vibrates the soft tissues in the mouth leading to the snoring sound. There are many ways to alleviate snoring, but the most popular one is by advancing the lower jaw or mandible forward for a free flow of air. However, medical practitioners also recommend one to make changes in lifestyle along with the use of anti snoring devices for better relief.

Being overweight is closely linked to snoring since that causes excess fat deposits around the neck, which makes the tongue to recede back towards the throat. That can apply pressure to the airway’s lining. When one gains weight over time, the tissues in the upper throat becomes softer. This makes the tissues in the mouth to sag when sleeping on the back, leading to the snoring issues.

Since excessive fat applies pressure against the lining, the airway becomes narrower and blocks free flow of air. Further, the excess weight makes the chest heavier and that makes the inhalation process much harder too. So the recommended changes in lifestyle can include substantial adjustments to the diet and exercises to reduce weight in due course.

Studies say that obese people breathe deeply since lungs expand to make room for the airflow; even the diaphragm is pushed down to provide the lungs sufficient space for the expansion. When the diaphragm contracts though, it pushes against the abdomen and other adjacent organs. Briefly, this means that the fat body has to struggle for inhalation and that leads to deep breathing and louder snoring.

How Weight Loss Helps Reduce Snoring

Usually, weight tends to build up around the abdominal organs in obese people. When they lose weight, the accumulated fat goes away. That makes inhalation easier since the diaphragm does not have to make way for the lungs to expand. This, in turn, means that the body will not have to work hard to take in the air and get oxygen to the lungs.

Weight loss also reduces neck’s circumference. Henceforth, the pressure in the airways will be less, the vibration will be alleviated, and that will reduce loud snoring at night. Consult a dietician to know what all to include in your diet for a quick and healthy weight loss, as well as learn about the physical workouts to get rid of the excessive weight you are troubled with.

Top 5 Natural Remedies for a Good Night’s Sleep

Snoring Remedies

Snoring Related Issues

Snoring is medically defined as the “vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping”. In most cases, it will be loud and horrible and can be an indicator of other health issues. Yet, many people overlook the snoring problem, mostly out of embarrassment. According to a recent study, around 60% of people in the world suffer from snoring, but only a few people out of this pursue medical treatment for the condition.

It is a given that good night’s sleep is really essential for your physical and mental well being. However, snoring issues prevent you from getting a peaceful sleep, and you might not even know of it. Apparently, when your sleep is disturbed, it will take a toll on your energy, efficiency, mood, productivity, and even on your ability to handle stress. So, it is recommended to consult a doctor if you are experiencing any sleep related issues, be it snoring or other conditions.

Health care providers usually suggest using anti snoring devices in order to tackle the problem. Along with this, you can also include some home remedies to stop snoring and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Below are the top 5 natural remedies you can try.

Oil Massage

Many studies have proven that a good body massage or head massage can help you sleep well. If you use mustard oil or coconut oil to massage your body, your body muscles will relax and help you fall in sleep within minutes. Additionally, it will increase the blood circulation in the muscles in order to calm your nerves.

You just need to warm the oil slightly, rub it on your head, shoulders, back, neck, and bottom of your feet, and gently massage in circular motions for around ten to twenty minutes.

Epsom Salt Bath

Taking an Epsom salt bath one or two hours before bedtime is one of the best ways to enjoy a sound sleep. According to naturopathic practitioners, the magnesium content in Epsom salt will contribute to calm your nerves and relax your muscles.

To take an Epsom bath, all you have to do is to add one and a half cup of Epsom salt to your bathing tub and let it dissolve completely. Soak yourself in the water for around half an hour and enjoy a peaceful sleep.

Chamomile and Valerian

Snore Guard

Natural Snoring Remedies

These are the most commonly used herbal species to induce sleep in people. When it comes to Chamomile, it is ideal for treating sleep disorders like sleep apnea and insomnia. Other than that, it is suitable for healing muscle spasms, period pain, stomachaches, etc., that are likely to keep you from enjoying a good sleep. So, it is recommended to consume a cup of Chamomile tea one hour before bedtime. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon in case you do not like the taste of Chamomile.

Valerian is a tall flowering grassland plant that is famous for inducing deep sleep in people. It has a soothing and muscle-relaxing property that in turn promotes better blood circulation in the body. In fact, several studies prove that Valerian is perfect for improving the quality of sleep as well.

Warm Milk

The relaxing effect of warm milk on the body and mind of a person is well known since ages, and hence, most people consume it before going to bed. The reason for this is the abundance of calcium in milk that controls the production of melatonin hormone.

It is to be noted that melatonin plays a key role in regulating the sleep of a person, whereas calcium is a great remedy to alleviate stress. In order to boost up the taste, you can add some honey and cinnamon in your milk as well. However, make sure to drink the milk at least one hour before you go to sleep.

Lavender Oil

There will be hardly anyone, who does not enjoy the soothing aroma of lavenders. Lavender oil is popular for having a calming effect on people, which in turn induces sleep. In fact, naturopathic practitioners claim that lavender oil can increase the sleep duration of a person, which is ideal to wake up the next day with a refreshing mind.

Simply apply two to three drops of lavender oil to your handkerchief or a towel and keep it under your pillow for a good night’s sleep. You can also take an aromatic bath by adding a few drops of lavender oil to your bathing water. Make sure to soak yourselves in it at least for thirty minutes. Else, rub your feet and earlobes with a mixture of lavender oil and olive oil before going to bed.

How are Sinusitis and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Related?

Snoring Devices

Snoring Related Issues

Prior to getting into the link between sinusitis as well as sleep apnea, it is important to get an understanding of what sinusitis is and how it affects the human body. In simple terms, sinusitis can be defined as the swelling of sinus cavities, nose, and cheeks. In the sinuses that are healthy, a thin layer of mucous and small hairs known as cilia line the surfaces, which helps to both trap as well as push pollutants and bacteria, and eventually drains through the small openings to the nasal cavity.

If your sinuses are healthy, the mucus formed in the sinuses will get cleared every ten minutes. However, when mucus production turns excess disrupting its normal clearing from the nose, it builds up and leads to swelling in the nose, and thereby sinusitis. People with the sinus infection experience several symptoms, comprising headache, sinus pressure, facial pain, as well as fatigue. It is considered chronic when one case of sinusitis lasts 6 weeks or more and even if a person develops the condition over 4 times in a year.

Besides the symptoms experienced during the day, chronic sinusitis also affects the sleeping patterns of the patient, and that brings us to Obstructive Sleep Apnea – what it is and in which way it is related to sinusitis.

Sinusitis and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

People who snore frequently tend to be Obstructive Sleep Apnea patients too, as loud snoring is one of its symptoms. In fact, it is the main symptom of sleep apnea, a sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring during sleep. Precisely, Obstructive Sleep Apnea is categorized as a sleep-disordered breathing condition. When the soft tissues in the mouth relax during sleep, it then causes partial blockages in the upper airway and induces the snoring sound.

Apart from that, Obstructive Sleep Apnea also causes the person to momentarily wake up gasping for breath. The pattern of gasping for breath can last from a few seconds to even an hour, occurring intermittently, in sleep. Its severity depends on the breathing obstruction or pattern.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea can be mild to moderate or even severe. If it is not serious with snoring remaining loud during sleep, you can seek anti snoring devices to advance the lower jaw and get a free flow of air. This is because the snoring sound is produced when the air rushes past the blocked airway and vibrates the soft tissues in the throat.

There are several factors, that play into the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and nasal and sinus issues are an element in that. Apparently, a breathing obstruction can also occur due to sinusitis. When sinus cavities cause draining difficulties, leading to chronic or intermittent sinusitis, it could be the sign of an underlying anatomical problem. The same nasal issue could be causing the partial or full blockages in the airway and in turn leading to the sleep-disordered breathing.

How Much Sleep Compatibility you Have with your Partner

Snoring Remedies

Snoring Related Issues

It can be hard living with a partner, who snores at night and keeps you from enjoying deep sleep. Aside from this and other sleep disorders, mismatched nighttime habits too can drive a couple apart over time. One of the best ways to combat this is to make sure the two of you are sleep compatible. Signs that you are not include one of you preferring to turn in much later than the other, and then tossing and turning on the bed until morning.

Sleep Incompatibility

The National Sleep Foundation has found that three in every four adults wake up multiple times in the night, or cause their partner to by snoring loudly and relentlessly. A survey showed that over half of the women in the country between the ages of 18 and 64 slept poorly over three nights a week. Most restless sleepers felt the effects of on the next day, with close to half of them blaming it for their inadequate performance while awake. The one thing commonly observed was that one of the partners had a snoring habit.

Sleep experts agree on snoring being a serious health problem, in no small part due to its tendency to bring in sleep apnea, as well as disrupt the sleep of couples across the country. However, simply resolving the sleep disorder with a snoring mouth guard would not make the problem of bedtime hurdles disappear. Even after you stop snoring at night, there are many other factors in play, such as disparities in body temperature, personal preferences, etc. The latter includes everything from who switches off the light, to how much of the blanket each person uses. Lack of a system that works for both parties can lead to many problems, including marital and sexual.

Age

Sleep incompatibility gets worse the older you get. Older couples are generally less concerned with sexual intercourse, and more bothered by snoring and bathroom visits after they hit the sack. Sometimes, partners cannot pick up each other’s slack, and eventually grow to wish they did not have to share a bed. Moreover, women have hot flashes when they are older, and that does not help matters at all.

Insomnia

Snoring Mouth Guard

Sleep Apnea In Partner

Even when not troubled by sleep disorders, many couples fail to find the kind of sleep that everyone wishes for. Most people take sleep for granted, and many end up suffering from insomnia. In such cases, the answer to what is keeping you awake may lie no further than the other side of the bed. It becomes vital to ask yourself what came first: marital problems or sleep problems. To find out which, ask your partner what they are willing to do to overcome your sleep incompatibility.

Sleeping Apart

A lion’s share of couples around the globe part ways at night as a means to get past sleep incompatibility. This has become so common a part of the typical modern lifestyle that architects often accommodate two master bedrooms when designing houses. Over half of the custom-made houses in the country have contained master bedrooms.

Cuddling

This is option is more mutually endearing, and while it does not bring the couple the best sleep they can have individually, it fosters intimacy and lets partners grow better used to one another. Many times, people overlook all annoyances just to be in proximity with their spouses.

Sleep Apnea

Snoring may seem superficial to the casual observer, but it is important to remember that it commonly leads to sleep apnea, where the person actually stops breathing for as long as several minutes. This can happen multiple times during the night, and always raises the risk of suffering from stroke, high blood pressure, and heart attack. Overcoming this issue is a long process, which usually involves wearing a medically prescribed CPAP device before going to sleep.

Snoring Solutions

Sleep Incompatibility In Adults

This in itself can be highly tiresome, because a typical CPAP machine includes tubes, masks, and a fan. The fans bring air pressure that causes the person’s tongue to move forward, removing the block formed in front of the throat. This allows more air to pass and for the person to breathe more easily.

Support from a spouse can be integral in getting a person to wear their CPAP device through the entirety of their sleep. Studies have found that men undergoing CPAP therapy follow through better when they have their wives in bed with them. If the condition is severe, spousal support may be called for outside the bedroom as well.

Some goals such as weight loss, diet change, and long walks can be achieved more easily if the patient sees they have their partner there with them through the whole thing. Emotional support is easy to underestimate in such cases, but people working alone to dispel a sleeping disorder generally do not fare as good as those that have their spouses actively supporting them.

The Compelling Reasons Why Sleep Apnea in Women Should Be Diagnosed

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Sleep Apnea In Women

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) happens when one snores loudly during sleep. The main symptom of OSA occurs when the soft tissue in the throat’s back relaxes, blocks the upper airway, and causes the snoring sound. Apnea is commonly seen in men and women. Since some of the health factors such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure are found more in men than women, there is a perception that women do not experience apnea as frequently as men do.

While that may be partly true, plenty of women do experience snoring and apnea, while some has the risk factors that can lead to the sleep disorder. Below are 3 things, which one may not know about OSA in women. Knowing about this health condition in detail will lead you to take a sleep test and try the remedies to stop snoring and get a relief during sleep. If you feel that you have any of the symptoms that pose a risk factor apnea, consult a doctor as soon as possible, and they will suggest you the right apnea and snoring remedies.

Apnea in Women is Often Misdiagnosed

More attention has been given to the health impacts of the sleep disorder for men than in women. This is largely due to medicine, which has created a perception that apnea patients are middle-aged adults who are obese and frequently snorers. The physicians who are into apnea are trained to check symptoms such as loud snoring, breathing cessations, and daytime sleeping, since apnea has been studied more in men than in women.

As women tend to experience peculiar symptoms, the sleep disorder is often overlooked in them. That is because it is tough to diagnose apnea in women as certain conditions can be mistaken for common health concerns. They include depression, cardiac diseases, hypertension, and menopausal changes.

The Apnea Symptoms in Women Differ to Men

Obviously, a man’s body differs to that of a woman and so do some physiological and biological factors. The symptoms of apnea that differ in women as opposed to men include everything from restless leg syndrome to weight gain, which occurs during pregnancy period, and things such as anxiety.

Apnea Cause Complications during Pregnancy

Pregnancy can worsen the apnea episodes during sleep. As pregnancy can cause sleep deprivations and exhaustion, it can be tricky for doctors to tell if the symptoms are related to apnea or not. Pregnant women have to fathom things such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, or preeclampsia, so OSA can cause more complications to the health during the pregnancy period. For instance, pregnancy-related apnea is linked to the said conditions, preterm delivery and even low birth weight leading to intensive care for them.