Snoring - Treatment, Causes, Folk Remedies

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Snore

Snoring is a sharp sound produced by the nasopharynx of a sleeping person. This phenomenon has a medical name - ronchopathy. Snoring is so common that sometimes it is not even considered a pathology, although it annoys others and serves as the subject of jokes, and sometimes quarrels.

However, it is a pathology, although not a disease. Snoring itself is not too dangerous, the main danger is that it can be a symptom of a formidable disease - obstructive sleep apnea at night.

Snoring reasons

Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the lumen of the pharynx, either as a result of illness, or as a result of weakening of the muscle walls, or due to congenital anatomical features. The most common cause of snoring in children and young adults is inflammatory nasopharyngeal edema, which usually occurs during an infectious disease. Snoring in young children can be caused by enlarged adenoids.

In the elderly, the main cause of snoring is age-related weakening of muscle tone. Other causes of snoring are obesity, a deviated septum, and a long uvula.

Another group of causes of snoring is functional, transient changes. For example, a decrease in the tone of the muscles of the pharynx can be caused by alcohol intake or overwork.

When snoring is dangerous

When we say that snoring can be dangerous, we primarily mean the danger to the patient himself. However, it should be borne in mind that snoring can carry a certain, although not fatal, danger to others, most often to a permanent bedroom partner. Quite often, the partner of a snoring person, who sleeps next to him constantly, over time begins to suffer from hearing loss, and one-sided, expressed on the side where the snoring person usually sleeps. Sometimes a partner's snoring can lead to insomnia, although, as a rule, adaptation occurs over time, and the regular partner does not notice snoring in a dream.

Therefore, snoring treatment is desirable even when the condition is considered harmless. But there is another condition manifested by snoring, and it requires compulsory medical intervention, since it can pose a threat to life. It is about sleep apnea. Apnea is a condition when the flow of air into the lungs stops completely.

A disease in which this condition occurs spontaneously at night is called obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, or OSAS for short. If a person snores loudly, but sometimes his snoring is interrupted, there is complete silence, and then a very loud snoring and resumption of breathing follow, these are signs of sleep apnea. Such a cessation of breathing and its sudden resumption cause a strong jump in blood pressure and impaired cardiac activity. In severe cases, such stops can go up to hundreds per night.

How to stop snoring

For some reason, a firm opinion has developed in society that when asked how to get rid of snoring, the answer is one - no way, it is impossible to do it. In fact, this is not at all the case, just because of the prevalence of the problem, it is considered almost the norm, and therefore even attempts to treat snoring are not being made.

There are medical, surgical, and physiotherapy treatments for snoring. It is aimed at eliminating the cause of snoring and restoring the normal position of the tissues of the nasopharynx during sleep.

Surgical treatment of snoring is used when there are anatomical obstacles to normal breathing during sleep. This is a deviated nasal septum, growths of polyps, adenoids or palatine tonsils, too long palatine tongue, etc.

When snoring caused by a decrease in muscle tone, laser or cryotherapy is effective on soft tissues. This is a low-traumatic bloodless intervention that makes the muscle wall and mucous tissue "tighten".

Drug treatment for snoring is used when the main cause of snoring is inflammation of the nasopharynx. In this case, therapy with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs is carried out until the normal state of the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, nose and pharynx is restored.

If the patient is obese, the treatment for snoring is to normalize the weight. In this case, the lumen of the nasopharynx is narrowed due to fatty deposits, therefore, their elimination will lead to the normalization of breathing.

Folk remedies for snoring

There are many home remedies for snoring, some of which are very effective. So, singing is a good remedy for snoring. Singing strengthens the muscles of the pharynx, they are toned, tightened, and snoring disappears. Songs as a remedy for snoring help in cases where the cause of snoring is an age-related decrease in muscle tone. To achieve a therapeutic effect, singing should be regular, daily, at least half an hour a day.

One of the popular folk remedies for snoring is instilling sea buckthorn oil in the nose before going to bed. It can be very effective when snoring is caused by chronic inflammation in the nasopharynx. Sea buckthorn oil has a healing effect, helps to restore damaged tissues and blood circulation in them. When the mucous membrane is restored and the swelling is eliminated, the snoring caused by inflammation disappears.

Thus, the question of how to stop snoring has many solutions. In order to find out which snoring remedy is right for you, you need to consult your doctor.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!