Snoring and your Health

We hear a lot about how hard snoring is on those who have to share the same bed with a snorer, but nobody gives much thought about how difficult it is on the person doing the snoring.

Snoring can result in a host of health problems, including heart trouble, high blood pressure, and stroke. If that’s not enough to worry about, sometimes snoring is the result of sleep apnea, a terrifying condition in which the snorer stops breathing repeatedly during the night. Some people with sleep apnea wake up as many as 100 times during a night without remembering. This obviously leads to a host of other health problems.

Why do people snore?

Snoring is caused by reduced airways, stemming from either your throat or nasal passageway, and it’s the vibrations as the air struggles to get through your soft palate, uvula, tongue, tonsils and/or muscles in the back of your throat that causes the snore. Snoring is a fairly common activity. Almost 1/3 of all American women snore, and almost ½ of American men do. Here are a few reasons why people snore:

Obesity
Extra fat accumulates in the muscles involved with breathing and impacts the airways.
Alcohol
Booze doesn’t just loosen your inhibitions; it makes your muscles loose, which leads to obstruction of the airways.
Nasal blockages
Whether it’s a cold or allergies, blocked passages and sinus problems can frequently lead to loud nights.
Sleeping on your back.
Many people are what’s referred to as “positional snorers” who only snore while on their back. This is because the tongue falls back in this position, and causes snoring. Try sleeping on your side and see if that resolves the problem.
Anatomical defects
A deviated septum, misaligned jaw bone or crooked bone at the bridge of the nose can cause the sufferer to snore.

Possible Treatments:

Understanding why you snore is all well and good, but if you’re being sent regularly to the couch, what you really need is some answers on how to stop. Here are five things to try:

Sleep on your side.
Most snorers can be cured just by staying off their backs. If you find yourself shifting during the night, try sewing a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas to keep you on your side.
Lose weight.
The second biggest cause of snoring is obesity. Cutting back on fat will free your airways.
Quit smoking.
Smoking irritates the membranes in the nose and throat, which causes blockage in your airways.
Keep the bedroom moist.
A humidifier can reduce snoring by keeping your passageways moist.
Talk to your chiropractic team.
Some people find that a few adjustments help reduce or stop snoring altogether. Additionally, your chiropractor may be able to teach you some exercises that you can perform to strengthen the muscles in your neck.