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How Sleep Apnea is Linked to Hearing Loss

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Sleep Apnea And Hearing Loss

Sleep apnea has a perceivable effect on the hearing health of an individual. Since the ear remains connected to the nose and throat by the Eustachian tube, there are more reasons to think the impact of prolonged sleep apnea on the ear. Several studies conducted over the years have validated that there exists a solid link between sleep apnea and hearing loss. Some of the results produced from these studies are quite alarming, as it states that there is an increased possibility of hearing loss among individuals that experience the symptoms of sleep apnea.

There is also the risk of a high frequency hearing among individuals prone to sleep apnea. If left untreated it can lead to a permanent hearing loss in an individual. Therefore, it is better to diagnose the ear health by a trained Ear Nose Throat (ENT) specialist if an individual experience any symptoms of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea and Hearing Loss

Sleep apnea affects the functioning of the ear in a passive manner. Its most powerful impact is on the circulatory system of an individual that can cause it extensive damage. While a person is experiencing sleep apnea, it can result in the blood vessels to become disturbed due to the pauses in breathing and other irregularities. This can affect the normal blood flow to the inner ear that will prevent it from functioning properly.

There is also the presence of loud snoring along with sleep apnea that can continue for a long time during sleep. The ears being active during sleep can become disturbed due to the loud snoring sound. This can actually damage the sensitive hair cells located in the inner ear that helps in hearing. Besides, the change in air pressure that happens during sleep apnea and snoring can also cause damage to the eardrums.

Treatment

Treating hearing issues associated with sleep apnea first requires a two-step approach. The first is addressing the sleep apnea problem and relieving it so that it causes no interference with the functioning of the ear. This is important since sleep apnea can persist even after treating the ear, thus repeating the issues.

Using anti snoring devices is the best option to alleviate sleep apnea in affected individuals. They position the airways in such a way that it facilitates easy breathing during sleep, which prevents snoring or sleep apnea in the first place. Snoring devices are an effective and affordable option to permanently cure sleep apnea. t

The second step is to consult a hearing specialist, while undergoing the treatment for sleep apnea, and determine the health of the ear to follow the necessary medications.

How GERD is Linked to Snoring

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GERD Causes Snoring

One reason why you snore is that you may be suffering from acid reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). It can lead to pains or a burning sensation in the chest along with snoring, which can confuse you into something serious like heart diseases. New research has shed light on this connection between GERD and several nighttime symptoms such as snoring, coughing, chest pain and burning sensation, etc. The results from these studies have stated that an estimate of 44 percent of the sample group with GERD suffered from snoring and the rest had other nighttime ailments.

What is GERD?

GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is a condition that affects the digestive system. If you suffer from it, you may have experienced the burning sensation in the throat and esophagus. This arises mainly due to indigestion of foods that can cause the acid and gastric juices to back up into the stomach and esophagus.

This is the leading cause of acid reflux and can occur within half an hour after eating. If you lie down a short while after eating, the positioning of the body causes the stomach acid along with the undigested food particles to enter the esophagus and throat thus causing a burning sensation in these areas.

How GERD Causes Snoring?

GERD is a major cause of snoring as per the results of the studies. This is particularly the case if you have the habit of lying down just after eating. The stomach acid and undigested food are more prone to enter into the esophagus and throat when the body is positioned in such a way.

The backup of acid can result in the airways to become blocked, which will impair your breathing. This can lead to the tissues in the throat and oral cavities to vibrate thus causing the snoring sound. Besides, the acid can damage the delicate tissue linings of the throat and esophagus that will prolong the issue if adequate treatments are not considered.

Treatment Options

Changing the diet is one of the most effective ways to reduce GERD and thus prevent snoring that occurs from it. Consuming foods rich in spices and calories can result in indigestion that will cause acid reflux. Refraining from going to bed just after eating can help prevent acid reflux and stop snoring.

The use of anti snoring mouth guards can also help in reducing snoring due to such conditions. They can position the mouth in such a way to facilitate free airflow through the throat and nasal cavities. These devices, when used in conjunction with proper dietary habits, can greatly prevent GERD and the snoring issues that occur due to it.

The Health Risks Related to Snoring

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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.

The Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea

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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.

Seasonal Allergies That Cause Snoring

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Snoring And Seasonal Allergies

How many of you have noticed that your snoring is relatively more during spring season? The main reason for this is change in temperature, pollen production, and humidity conditions, and some local folks even call spring season the snoring season because of this. These interruptions in breathing during sleep are linked to high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks, and also raise the risk of car and work accidents. The main culprit that leads to snoring is your seasonal allergy, and this problem can be treated up to an extent at home with minimally invasive treatments.

Spring Allergies Causing Snoring

Spring allergens such as pollens from trees, weeds, and grass contribute fairly to your snoring. The important first step to be taken to fix this problem is to recognize what you are allergic to and take effective precaution for the same. Note that some allergens can cause the nasal passage to swell and restrict the airflow, in turn making breathing more difficult during sleep.

Other allergy symptoms to look out for are sneezing, itchy red eyes, and headaches; a runny nose or congested sinuses can be your primary problem if you are experiencing snoring along with these. Worry not, incorporating some simple practices into your daily life can help you to stop snoring that is caused due to these seasonal allergens.

At-Home Treatment Options

Try sleeping on your side – When individuals sleep on their back, the tongue falls down towards the back of throat and obstructs the airway. Sleeping on the sides would avoid that.

Use an extra pillow – Rather than collecting in your nasal cavity, sinuses may clear up more quickly if you elevate the position of your head using another pillow.

Use a Neti pot – This age-old remedy for sinus can work wonders to break up mucus and reduce symptoms caused by allergy and stop snoring.

Use a humidifier – If you are constantly waking up with a dry throat, then it is probably because of the low humidity level in your room. A humidifier ensures that the air in your room contains enough moisture to break up the mucus in the nose resulting easier breathing.

Apply a menthol rub before bed – Rubbing a small amount of menthol rub on your chest before sleep will help to keep the nose and throat clear throughout the night.

Other than these remedies, there are anti snoring devices like chinstraps, mouthpieces, nasal strips, etc., that effectively treat the condition. Try these treatment methods and spare yourself from tolerating further sleepless nights.

Why Use a Snore Stop Mouthpiece for Sleep Apnea alongside Therapeutic Singing

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Sleep apnea occurs due to breathing cessations and may last from a few seconds to an hour during sleep. In fact, when the tissues forming the soft palate in mouth or tongue recede, it causes an airway obstruction and a vibration when you inhale or exhale. This vibration is felt in the back of the throat and remains unknown even though you snap out of the sleep gasping for breath.

One of the trusted and relied remedies for the sleep disorder is the snore stop mouthpiece. The benefit of using the mouth guard for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea is that they keep the lower jaw forward and clear the obstruction in the back of the throat for a free-flowing air during sleep. In fact, you can also combine alternate snoring remedies to enhance the betterment of sleep and reduce the episodes and symptoms of sleep apnea.

One such remedy is singing – not reciting the lines of a music track but exercising by targeting the muscles as well as tissues in the mouth. By practicing regular therapeutic singing anytime during the day, you can enhance the muscle tone over a period of time and avoid the airway blockage which disrupts the sleep.

Sleep apnea specialists say that singing is a form of therapy, which strengthens the pharyngeal muscles and reduces the snoring loudness, frequency, as well as severity of the symptom. Studies show that snoring can be reduced if the patients perform singing exercises precisely, regularly, and persist with it for more than 3 months or so.

Singing can be quite a fun thing to do whether you have apnea or not and you need not be a singer either. Furthermore, singing as a therapy would improve the sleep patterns and provides non-invasive remedies, such as snore stop mouthpieces, and with no side effects at all. When you combine both of the remedies for snoring and mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, chances are you do not need to undergo an invasive surgery such as palatial implants.

It is also to be noted that while singing as a therapy for apnea is relatively new to alternate treatment methods, therapeutic singing can also be used to treat depression and stress. After all, snoring can be due to any of the two causative factors and only best remedies take the stress out of the sleep.

How Snoring Affects your Oral Health

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Snoring And Oral Health

Snoring has several adverse effects on the affected person, from leading to serious disorders to hampering personal life and relationships. It is even proven to cause disruptions in sleep, lead to high blood pressure, aggravate cardiac problems, etc. These conditions, if left untreated, can worsen over time leading to a severe deterioration of the health.

If you are a snorer, you might have felt how much toll it is taking on your overall health. A usually ignored effect of snoring is oral health. It is found that if you snore regularly, it can severely affect your oral health and can cause the major constituents of the oral cavity like teeth and gums to get weakened. These oral diseases can also affect the rest of your body if left untreated. Therefore, it is important to take note whether your snoring habit is also causing a decrease in your oral health.

Effects of Snoring on Oral Health

The causes for snoring can vary from person to person, as many practices like jaw positioning, lifestyle, alcohol consumption, etc., can contribute to it.  Yet regardless of what caused it, regular snoring will lead to a decline of your oral health.

One of the major effects of snoring in oral health is that it causes dry mouth or xerostomia. Dry mouth occurs in many and is a condition that results in reduced saliva flow inside the mouth. Saliva plays a major role to keep the oral cavity moistened and thereby prevent the buildup of bacteria. The occurrence of dry mouth can give rise to numerous other oral health problems.

One such issue is halitosis or bad breath that can make it difficult for you to keep up interaction with others. This can also complicate and cause tooth decay and gum diseases in many. If you snore too often and loudly, dry mouth can result in increased bacterial buildup inside your mouth and can cause numerous infections and sores to develop. It can also lead to the burning mouth syndrome.

Maintaining oral health is best possible if you undertake proper treatment methods to stop snoring. These anti snoring remedies will eliminate the root causes of snoring, thereby providing you with good oral health. A snoring mouth guard is one of the most effective treatment options out there that can help relieve your snoring and oral health problem permanently.

Using an anti snoring mouth guard will help you to completely relieve snoring when used for a certain period. However, using a mouthpiece also requires you to follow some guidelines such as the need for maintaining strict oral hygiene and daily cleaning of the mouth guard. This will prompt you to develop the habit of maintaining your oral health by using approved methods as well as make sure that your snoring issues are effectively dealt with.

Easiest of Ways to Clear Snoring at Night

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Clear Snoring At Night

One of the many causes of snoring in people is a receding jaw and excess fat around the neck. The receding jaw will make the tongue to fall backward and that may block the airway in the throat. This will induce snoring at night.

You can wear an anti snore guard going forward to stop snoring if you have a receding jaw. The mouthpiece will advance the lower jaw forward and will clear the airway in the throat thereby stopping nighttime snoring. The mouthpiece can be easily worn before bedtime in the mandible and hence it is also known as the Mandibular Advancement Device for snoring.

However, since the excess fat around the neck is another underlying cause of snoring, many snorers tend to do the exercise to tighten the neck muscles. Snoring as a condition will pervade the sleep but it can be easily remedied by using the convenient remedy and by exercising. Try the below exercises to clear the fat around the neck and sleep better without having to gasp for breath during sleep.

In fact, doing a cheek movement exercise will help in tightening the neck muscles and thereby improve the muscle tone around the neck. For that, hook your left thumb and index finger into the left cheek and gently pull the side of the cheek. In addition, try to resist the pull using the neck muscles and the cheek muscles while you are doing the exercise. Pause the movement of the left cheek for about 5 seconds and then release the cheek. Repeat the easy exercise for snoring several times, preferably 10 times, and in each cheek, to improve breathing at night.

A neck exercise for snoring can be done by sitting on a chair with the back straight. Ensure not to tense any part of the body once you take a seat comfortably and bring down the chin to the neck gently, leaving the eyes looking at a point just in front. Moreover, keep the lips closed and hold the posture for about 10 seconds and then count to 5 seconds more just as you raise the chin up from the neck. Repeat the exercise each time you may choose to do it – ideally thrice during a given day.

Surgical Procedures to Counter Snoring Issues

In radio frequency snoring surgery, surgeons will insert an electrode into the soft palate in order to apply a low energy wave into the mouth. Enlarged tissues in the mouth may cause the vibrations, which result in loud snoring as airway in the throat blocks. Surgeons say that it may take up to 10 minutes or so to insert an electrode into the soft palate, but it may take a month and a half in order to cure snoring through radio frequency waves. Meanwhile, snorers are most likely to continue snoring and may even have to deal with a sore throat from the snoring surgery.

Septoplasty surgery will try to address a deviated septum and straighten the nasal septum and reposition the wall right back to the center of the nose. Deviated septum may occur when the Septal nasal cartilage in between the nostrils recede to the sides. Deviated septum may cause the airway blockages in the nose and one to snore. Experts say that the effect post the Septoplasty surgery will depend on the severity of deviated septum.

Snoring specialists recommend Uvulectomy to alter the inside of the mouth and try to address nasal polyps. Nasal polyps are the soft, painless, and noncancerous enlargements in the nasal airway. If non-cancerous cells enlarge in the meantime, they may lead to loud snoring. Note that Uvulectomy is a surgical method that is termed as ‘highly-risky’, as professional surgeons remove all or part of the bell-shaped uvula at the back of the throat in this procedure.

Surgery as a Last Resort?

As surgeries for snoring can potentially be painstaking, a lengthy recovery time may be needed for the healing to take effects when they regain fitness. Surgeries will be effective for nasal polyps, provided that the snorer endures the difficulties right through when breathing through the nose.

To stop snoring, patients follow a surgeon’s recommendations regarding the best snoring remedies in the market. For more serious cases of snoring, there is the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy and stop snoring mouthpieces, which also help to clear the airway blockages, but without the pain involved in surgical procedures. In fact, mild to moderate snoring issues can be completely cured with continuous usage of stop snoring mouth guards.

Benefits of Using Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) for Snoring

Mandibular Advancement Devices (MAD) is an effective solution to stop snoring in individuals. They fit into the oral cavity and help to prevent snoring by providing cleared airway for breathing effortlessly. These devices are worn on the teeth to prevent the collapse of soft tissues into the airways that obstruct the breathing process during sleep. Mandibular Advancement Devices are recommended snoring devices by most physicians and medical professionals for curing snoring as well as obstructive sleep apnea.

Using them is a safe and effective way to cure snoring among individuals. These devices are also easier to use and are a painless and non-invasive form of treatment. Mandibular Advancement Devices can fit in perfectly according to the shape and size of the oral cavity of any individual.

A typical Mandibular Advancement Device consists of two splints worn on the upper and lower teeth of the mouth. When placed inside the mouth, these splints will position the lower jaws in relation to the upper jaws. This will keep the airways open and free of any obstructions, thereby facilitating easier breathing among those suffering from snoring.

Several studies support that Mandibular Advancement Devices have numerous benefits when compared to other anti snoring devices. Below are a few of the proven benefits of using Mandibular Advancement Devices for snoring.

Unobtrusive

Mandibular Advancement Devices are an unobtrusive form of treatment. Individuals can easily carry on with their daily life even while using these devices. These devices do not cause any interference while talking or drinking while wearing them. Most of other snoring devices are worn externally and are only recommended for wearing at night. They can obstruct one’s ability to carry out daily tasks while Mandibular Advancement Devices can be worn at all times.

Reasonable Cost

The other main benefit of opting for Mandibular Advancement Devices is its reasonable pricing. The pricing is comparatively lesser and the effects of using the device are far reaching as it can permanently relieve snoring when used for extended periods. It is a viable and inexpensive option against other costlier forms of snoring treatments that involve the use of surgery.

Custom Fit

Mandibular Advancement Devices are custom made depending upon the size and shape of one’s mouth. A qualified dentist will take the accurate measurements of the mouth using impression molds. These are used to fabricate a Mandibular Advancement Device that fits well within the contours of teeth and the shape of the mouth.