Archive for September, 2008
If you’ve ever been told that you snore, you know that snoring can be an annoying and embarrassing problem. Sometimes people snore if they are fighting allergies or a cold, but many times snoring is a long-term problem that requires treatment of some sort. There are two main types of ways that snoring can be treated: self-help treatments and medical treatments. It is best to try a self-help snoring treatment first, and if it is unsuccessful then you might consult your doctor about attempting a medical snoring treatment.
Non-Medical Options
Lose Weight
If your snoring is not related to a medical condition, like sleep apnea, then you may have success in using a self help snoring treatment. There are several different methods of treatment that you can use on your own, without the aid of your physician. For example, you could try losing weight, because excess weight is often times the cause of snoring. Losing weight will minimize the fatty tissue in your airway, which will decrease the likelihood that you will snore.
Change the Way You Sleep
You could also try changing your sleep position; it has been found that people who sleep on their backs are more likely to snore than those who sleep on their sides. Another option is to try sleeping without a pillow, because a pillow can bend your neck and increase the chance that you will snore.
Cut Back on Cigarettes, Alcohol and Fatty Foods
Eliminating smoking, or exposure to second hand smoke, is also an option. This can minimize the intensity of your snoring. It is also important to stay away from certain dairy products that are high in fat, like non-skim milk, prior to sleeping, because these types of foods can thicken the mucus in your throat and increase your chances of snoring. In fact, it is best to avoid all food and alcohol within three hours of going to bed because it can relax the tissues in your throat, causing you to snore.
By avoiding antihistamines and by increasing your use of nasal decongestants, you can also improve your snoring. Finally, by avoiding sedatives and sleeping pills, you will also avoid relaxing the muscles in your throat, thus reducing the amount of snoring.
Medical Options
Another option is medical snoring treatment; this is recommended if you have tried other methods on your own but your snoring persists. Continuous Airway Pressure is one option; it involves the use of a machine that blows pressurized air into a mask in order to keep your airways open. Oral devices and jaw positioners can also be used; as can a tongue retaining device. Finally, various surgical procedures can be used as snoring treatments as well.
Posted in Snoring
Individuals diagnosed with cluster headache are at high risk of having undiagnosed sleep apnea, recent studies reveal. Researchers have concluded that there is a strong correlation between the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea and cluster headaches, since the breathing complications are mostly prevalent among these individuals. At its very basic level, the scientific researches pointed out a possibility of treating cluster headache by treating the obstructive sleep apnea.
The Details Of The Study
Dr. Chervin and his associates and supported by the Sleep Disorder Center at the University of Michigan, conducted bet the study. It was an observational study in which 25 individuals with active or inactive cluster headaches participated. No diagnosis for apnea had been taken place prior to the study’s start.
The studies findings revealed that over 80% of the participants experienced 5 episodes of apnea or hypopnea (under breathing) during each hour of sleep. 44% experienced 10 or more in that given period. Participants with cluster headaches and sleep apnea showed severe oxygen desaturation in the majority of the cases.
Decreased CO2 Reaction
Scientists spoke about the possibility that a reduced responsiveness to CO2 may develop cluster headaches and since sleep apnea results in minimum oxygen saturation. In other words, your body doesn’t get enough air to get the job done. It explains the association with sleep-disordered breathing as linked up with cluster headaches. In reference to other studies that explained the occurrence of numerous rapid physiological changes as a direct consequence of sleep-disordered breathing, it can be surmised that there is a strong correlation between sleep apnea and cluster headaches.
The Speculation And Future Prospect
While speculative hypothesis in this particular aspect emphasizes that the recurring, outsized, adverse intrathoracic pressures occurring as a result of sleep apnea may directly influence intravascular content, leading to headaches. Sleep apnea and other sleep disordered breathing have the high possibility to influence the entire mechanism governing the sensation of aches, however, more research is needed. It’s still not been proved whether the breathing pattern caused by sleep apnea actually causes headaches and whether there is any causal relationship between these two variables.
However, there is a strong correlation between these two variables for certain. Further studies are needed to confirm any direct relationship between cluster headaches and sleep apnea. Additionally, researchers do not underestimate the possibility of finding out any third variable responsible for both cluster headaches and apnea in addition to what has been already discovered.
Tags: If the snoring is soft, only occasionally and doesn’t wake your partner this may be considered nromal. However, Heavy snoring is NOT normal. In fact, it’s often a sign that something is wrong with you physically that needs a doctor’s attention. And, you’ve probably noticed that your partner is being far more cranky than usual. You need to consider taking some advice on how to stop snoring.
Check Out Your Lifestyle
Smoking, drinking and recreational drugs that act, as sedatives will make you snore a lot more than if you didn’t use them. Reducing or quitting smoking, drinking and taking recreational sedatives, you will not only stop snoring, you will benefit your health in lots of other ways. Another benefit is the amount of money you will save, by stop smoking, drinking or taking recreational drugs. Now that we’ve got the most practical stop snoring advice out of the way, let’s go on to more.
Try Sleeping On Your Side
Partners of people who snore tend to find that by poking their snoring partner and getting them to sleep on their side or stomach tends to reduce the amount of snoring. Its seems that people snore less when sleeping on their side or stomach compared to them slleping on their back. Consider this stop snoring advice. A simple trick to help you not sleep on your side is to sew or tape a tennis ball in to the back of your pyjama tops. This will encourage you NOT to attempt to sleep on your back. Be sure you are healthy enough to sleep on your side or stomach, though.
Keep Your Mouth Shut
The most extreme stop snoring advice, which I personnally have never tried, was something seen on BBC News – tape your lips together to keep from snoring. To snore your mouth must be open. Before considering this option you have to be sure your nasal passages are clear and that your lips are tucked into your mouth before your use the surgical tape.
See Your Doctor
All snoring is due to your airwaves becoming obstructed for some reason. Usually, this is because in deep sleep all of your muscles go so lax they rub up against each other. But you can also snore because of a physical deformity or from a physical growth. The only ways these can be cured is through medical intervention.
Sleep apnea is one of these and could be quite dangerous, affecting your entire quality of life. This is where you momentarily choke and wake up when you are in deep sleep and start to snore.