Snoring Remedies

How Snoring Can Contribute to Hearing Loss in Bedmates

May 8, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Snoring and Deafness

Snoring is defined as the sound produced as a result of the vibration of respiratory structures that is caused due to the obstructive airflow while sleeping. In some cases, the snoring sound might be mild, whereas it would be loud and unpleasant in other cases. The latter kind of snoring during sleep can also be the first sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA.

According to the studies, around 40% of people in the United States are suffering from severe snoring issues. Just like OSA, snoring can also be the indicator of many other fatal health issues such as heart diseases, mental disorders, and many other health problems. It can also be the other way round; that is, frequent snoring can also contribute to other diseases.

Note that it is not the snorers who always suffer; people sleeping with them are also prone to many health issues. One of the major health problems commonly seen in people sleeping with snorers is deafness.

The Relation between Snoring and Deafness in Bedmates

According to recent studies, it is determined that almost every people who sleep close to the snorers suffer from a high-frequency hearing loss in the ear that is closest to the snorer. Not only the bed partners, the snorers themselves are also prone to hearing diseases.

As said, frequent snoring also leads to sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that forces the patient to pause breathing for a few seconds while asleep. However, the occurrence and range of these pauses vary in different people; it can last from few seconds to more than a minute, and can occur more than 30 times in an hour. These pauses will result in frequent awakenings and thereby disrupt the sleep of the patient.

Sleep apnea can hold back the vascular supply to the cochlea that results in inflammation in the ear. This, along with loud snoring, leads to hearing loss and other health issues. As for the bedmate, frequent wake ups, disrupted sleep, and annoying snoring sounds, all trigger the sensory nerves in the brain and lead to hearing issues, aside from the tiredness, fatigue, and mood-swings in the daytime.

Counter Measures for Snoring

One of the best options to counter snoring issues is to use a reliable, medically approved snore guard. However, it is recommended to consult a doctor and do a sleep-test prior to this; using the wrong snore guard may worsen the situation. You can also tackle the condition and stop snoring by taking proactive measures such as losing weight, stop consuming liquor, etc.

If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, it is recommended to consult an audiologist and conduct a hearing test. Note that hearing loss can be treated completely if it is diagnosed at an earlier stage.

What is the Connection between Snoring and Parkinson’s Disease

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

Snoring And Parkinson’s Disease

Snoring is one of the common problems that most people are facing, at the present time. According to a study, around 40% of people in the United States are facing snoring related issues. This is just the known cases; there will be million other cases that are unreported and untreated. Most people still find it really embarrassing to admit that they have snoring issues.

The Relation between Snoring and Parkinson’s Disease

It is medically proven that snoring may be an indicator of many other diseases such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Alzheimer’s, cardiac issues, etc. In worst cases, snoring can be fatal too, if left untreated. This can be the other way around as well, that is, snoring may be an after effect of some diseases. One of such health issue that may lead to snoring problems is Parkinson’s disease.

According to a recent study, around 75% of people affected with Parkinson’s disease also suffer from sleep disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea, etc. The most common sleep issues that are associated with Parkinson’s include:

Snoring
Shouting or talking while sleeping
Short sleeping intervals
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Fatigue and drowsiness during daytime
Nightmares
Restless legs
Difficulty to turn sides
Cramping
Rigidity and shivering

Treatment

In some extreme cases, people affected with Parkinson’s syndrome also experience REM sleep behavioral disorder where the person acts out of their dreams. This may include kicking, hitting, shouting, and grinding teeth while sleeping. However, this can be treated using appropriate medication.

In most cases, many symptoms can be a side effect of the medications or drugs that the patient consumes in order to cure the Parkinson’s disease. Hence, it can be solved by changing those medicines or the treatment plan after consulting a doctor. On the other hand, you can also tackle some of these problems up to an extent by making some changes in your lifestyle. A few things in that regard can be:

Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Avoiding drinking water few hours before going to bed
Avoiding heavy meal for dinner
Avoiding to think about stressful things before going to bed

The amount of sleep of the patient also triggers many sleeping disorders. So, it is advisable to keep a track of sleep cycle of the patient by means of home sleep study. In this, the breathing, as well as sleep parameters of the patient, is monitored. This will include a pulse oximetry, an instrument to measure the oxygen levels in the blood along with a record of events like the pause in breathing, sleeping pattern, snoring, movements, etc.

Oropharyngeal Exercises for Alleviating Breathing Issues during Sleep

April 5, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Oropharyngeal And Sleep Apnea

Oropharyngeal refers to an area of the throat to the back of the mouth, comprising of the uvula, tonsils, soft tissues, and back of the tongue. Doing an oropharyngeal exercise can help to alleviate disordered breathing conditions during sleep such as snoring and apnea. Such exercises will strengthen the throat muscles and can avoid it from collapsing while you sleep.

The purpose of an oropharyngeal exercise is to improve the muscle tone associated with the opening of the upper airway, which comprises of the jaw, throat muscles, and tongue palates. If the root cause of your snoring and other breathing issues during sleep is a receding tongue, the exercise meant to strengthen the tongue and its nearby muscles would help greatly in alleviating the condition.

In case you breathe through an open mouth during sleep and snoring occurs due to that, it is worth considering using oral appliances such as a sleep apnea mouthpiece that trains you to sleep with the mouth closed. The prime intention of such snoring remedies is to open the airway for a free flow of air during sleep and cure the health issue without any side effects. The same goes true for oropharyngeal exercises that are meant to reduce apnea episodes during sleep.

Some of such throat and mouth exercises even have the backing of clinical studies just as it is with a proven anti snoring mouthpiece or any other snoring remedy that works on improving the structure of the airway. It is believed that an instrument such as the didgeridoo was used to improve the same in the past, and oropharyngeal exercises were invented as an advanced form of speech therapy that could cure mild to moderate sleep apnea.

Such exercises for breathing disorders during sleep can as easy as putting the tongue’s tip on the surface of the mouth and sliding it backward or opening the mouth to its full and ensuring that your lips meet while closing the mouth. To get the desired results of an oropharyngeal exercise, a snorer should practice the same several times throughout a day or at least for a total of half an hour in intervals of 3 minutes or so. Even singing the vowel sounds with an open throat is a form of such exercises.

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.

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.

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.

Gadgets and Devices for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

February 21, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the trouble in breathing that is caused due to the obstruction of the airways. Obviously, the main aim of OSA treatment is to open these airways and allow smooth breathing, especially while sleeping. There are many devices and gadgets to achieve this. Some of them are listed below.

Position Pillows

Position pillows are one of the easiest and comfortable ways to get instant relief from snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. These pillows are designed in such a way that it can be used either with a CPAP machine or without CPAP machine. Position pillows come in a variety of shapes including a wedge shape, which will help to raise the upper body of the snorer.

The American Sleep Apnea Association recommends the snorers to use foam wedges instead of soft pillows. This will enable the affected person to sleep on the back keeping the body elevated from the upper portion of the waist. This will prevent the airways from collapsing.

Position pillows that can be used along with CPAP machine, will keep the neck and head of the snorer in such a way that the airways will remain open always. On the other hand, position pillows with CPAP machine are meant to be more comfortable, when you wear the mask.

Tennis Ball

Most people sleep on their back causing their tongue and other soft palates to fall and rest against the back of their throat, obstructing the airway. This will result in snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. You can tackle this problem by sleeping on your sides.

Some doctors suggest sewing a sock filled with tennis balls to the backside of your trousers when you sleep. According to a recent survey, out 38 out of 50 people has shown improvement in the quality of their sleep after using this tennis ball technique.

Nerve Stimulation Devices

A hypoglossal nerve stimulator can help when the tongue or other soft palates rest against the back of your throat. This is a small device inserted into the affected person’s chest through a minor surgery. This device can be operated very easily; when you are going to sleep turn on this nerve stimulator using a small remote and switch it off once you wake up.

The main task of this nerve stimulator is to monitor your breathing patterns and to send the signals to the nerves, according to that pattern. The nervous system will control the tongue and other muscles accordingly, once it gets these signals. This way, nervous system stimulators will keep the airways open and allows you to breathe effortlessly.

How to Get Used With Side Sleeping to Alleviate Mild Snoring

February 20, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Alleviate Mild Snoring

People tend to snore mildly when sleeping on the back or in the supine position. If that is the case with you, changing the position to side sleeping may help alleviate snoring. In fact, positional therapy has been around for a long time being one of the easiest snoring remedies to try.

When people sleep at night, the jaws relaxes and throat tissues recede back into the mouth, which creates a partial blockage in the upper airway. When one inhales air in such a situation, the throat tissues and the roof of the mouth vibrates creating the snoring sound. The snorers remain unaware of the problem, but the bedfellow may come to know about it and suggest visiting a doctor.

Sleep specialists recommend positional therapy in order to reduce snoring. However, there are some challenges with getting used to a new position on bed apart from supine position. If snorers complain of trouble finding it tough to acclimatize with the position, they can talk it to the doctor in the compliance therapy.

One of such concerns, which snorers face while sleeping on the side, is rolling back on to a former position in the middle of sleep. If you also talk about the concern with your doctor, he or she will recommend you to use a tennis ball to deal with the concern as a form of compliance.

One of the easiest tricks to eliminate falling over on the bed to back sleeping problem is to sew tennis balls into the back of the night suit. Placing 2 or 3 tennis balls in a way it runs along the spine might just avoid rolling over the bed back to supine position. If you try to do that unknowingly during sleep, the tennis balls will remind you subconsciously that the new position may not be comfortable to sleep.

Moreover, one tends to return to side sleeping position without even waking up from sleep. You can also create pockets in the pajamas that are sufficiently large to insert and remove the tennis balls while sleeping on the side. This will ensure the tennis balls stay intact over the course of a 5 to 7 hour sleep without falling off in the middle of the slumber. If you are a somewhat overweight adult, however, try using a softball instead of the tennis ball to get used to side sleeping.

A Helpful Guide on Snoring Aids

February 8, 2018 Snoring-Aid.com Staff Snoring Remedies

Anti Snoring Mouthpieces

Snoring is one of the common sleeping disorders that most people go through. Even though people take this very lightly, there are many serious problems associated with snoring that range from anxiety disorders and heart attacks to even premature death. Hence, it is very crucial to treat snoring and there are many anti snoring devices available in market for this. Below are some details on different types of snoring aids, and a few tips on choosing the best one for your condition.

Anti Snoring Mouthpieces

This is one of the basic choices for snoring aids, as it is readily available and offers instant relief. The main advantage of using an anti snoring mouthpiece is the absence of side effects. This is a proven method to stop snoring as most of them are put through various clinical trials.

You should note that there are two types of mouthpieces; Mandibular advancement device (MAD), which is also known as jaw retaining device, and tongue retainer or tongue retaining device (TRD).

Mandibular Advancement Device

While sleeping, there are chances for your jaws to fall down towards your chest that will obstruct the airway and will cause snoring. This is more likely to happen in back sleepers. These jaw retainers will position your jaw in such a way to stop snoring. Furthermore, you can use this to address Bruxism also.

Tongue Retaining Device

The tongue usually falls back to the throat while sleeping and obstructs the airway to trigger snoring issues. This will depend mainly on the way you sleep. Most people snore because of their tongue, and hence, repositioning the tongue is the best way to deal with the condition. Furthermore, TRD will ensure a relaxed and proper sleep, as there is no need of biting down the device during your sleep.

Snoring Chin Straps

People who snore through the mouth can also use a chin strap to stop snoring instantly. Here, the chin strap will hold your mouth in a closed position and will encourage the air passage through the nose.

A chin strap is usually recommended for patients suffering from sleep apnea. However, before choosing the chin strap, you need to make sure that you are comfortable with it. Besides, consulting with a sleep specialist should be the first move when you suspect having snoring or sleep apnea episodes.

After proper diagnosis of the condition, the doctor would be able to recommend the right remedy for snoring. Sometimes, mild to occasional snoring can be dealt with snore sprays, which are sprayed directly into the nose to keep the airway clear during sleep. A chin strap or a snoring mouth guard will be usually prescribed to those troubled with frequent to severe snoring issues.

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