You-Know-Me
Some 45% of normal adults snore at least occasionally, and 25% are habitual snorers. Problem snoring is more frequent in males and overweight persons, and it usually grows worse with age.
More than 300 devices are registered in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office as cures for snoring. Some are variations on the old idea of sewing a tennis ball on the pajama back-to force the snorer to sleep on his side. (Snoring is often worse when the person sleeps on his back). Chin and head usually disappointing as snoring cures. Many electrical devices have been designed to produce painful or unpleasant stimuli when the patient snores. The presumption was that a person could be trained or conditioned not to snore. Unfortunately, snoring is not under the person’s control whatsoever; and if these work. It is probably because they keep the snorer awake.
What cause snoring?? The noisy sounds of snoring occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This is collapsible part of the airway where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula (the fleshy structure that dangles from the roof of the mouth back into the throat). When these structures strike against each other and vibrate during breathing- that is snoring. Persons who snore have at least one of the following problems:
1. Poor muscle tone (lack of tightness) in the muscle of the tongue and throat.
2. Excessive bulkiness of tissues of the throat.
3. Excessive length of the soft palate and uvula.
4. Obstructed nasal airway.
Also, deformities of the nose or nasal septum frequently cause such obstruction. “deviated septum” is a common term for a deformity inside the nose in the wall that separates one nostril from the other.
Can snoring be cured? By far the majority of snores can helped. For adults who are mild or occasional snores, the following self-help remedies are worth trying.
1. Adopt an athletic life-style and exercise daily to develop good muscle tone and loose weight.
2. Avoid tranquilizers, sleeping pills and antihistamines before bedtime.
3. Avoid alcoholic beverages within 4 hours of retiring.
4. Avoid getting overtired; establish regular sleeping patterns.
5. Sleep sideways rather than on the back. Consider sewing a pocket on the pajama back to hold a tennis ball. This help to avoid sleeping on your back.
6. Tilt the entire bed with the head upward 4 inches.
7. Allow the non-snorer to get sleep first.
Remember! Snoring means obstructed breathing, and obstruction can be serious. It is not Funny and it is definitely not Hopeless.
