Seeking The Best Cure For Snoring

Did you know that approximately 45% of male and female adults snore occasionally, while 25% suffer from habitual snoring?

Although commonly experienced by many people, snoring may originate from different causes, produce different symptoms and consequences, and indicate different problems - from the simplest ones to the most complicated. Likewise, based on these differences, a variety of cures for snoring is available for you to choose from.

Which is the best cure for snoring? Of course, it would depend on the type and gravity of your snoring. But first, be familiar with the different anti-snoring remedies which can be classified under certain categories. Here they are:

SLEEP FACTORS

* Sleep Position

Snorers who snore mainly through the mouth will find that sleeping on their side can help keep their mouth shut and thereby prevent snoring.

Meanwhile, the simple placing of an object under the chin can provide amazing relief to many snorers. Such object can be a pillow, a rolled-up sock, or even their own hand. This can aid in toning the neck muscles resulting in less loose skin that vibrates against the air in the air passage. This will then result in less snoring.

On the other hand, supporting the abdomen by putting a pillow under the small of the back can provide comfort and cure for some snorers. Such position can help clear the airway and make the lungs expand.

* Sleep Environment

You may be surprised to know that one's sleeping environment can affect the probability of snoring. For instance, a humid room is generally helpful in easing snoring. Dry air is a common cause of nasal congestion and obstructed airway which can then lead to vibration and thus, snoring.

Meanwhile, ionizers, which give off negative ions and hence clean the air, can also aid in alleviating your snoring. Other external factors that may help reduce stress and thereby ease snoring include turning off the lights and maintaining peace and quiet inside the room.

LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION

* Weight Loss/Maintenance

Obesity or too much weight can trigger snoring since excess skin in the throat area gives more tissue that air can vibrate against. Meanwhile, proper and ample exercise can help you develop excellent muscle tone. Besides being a cure for snoring, losing excess weight or maintaining your ideal weight will significantly improve your general well-being.

* Proper Diet

Besides helping you maintain your ideal weight, following a proper diet can also help you guard against allergies, which can then lead to congestion and breathing difficulty.

On the other hand, some foods are believed to be helpful in easing snoring to some degree. Such foods, which are said to tone the throat muscles, include garlic, onions, pears, horseradish, mustard greens, and leeks.

* Healthy Living

As a general rule, leading a healthy life is an effective cure for snoring. The following healthy habits can help in easing or completely curing some degrees or types of snoring:

> Avoiding alcohol

> Avoiding sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or any other muscle relaxant

> Avoiding/Quitting smoking

ANTI-SNORING GADGETS

* Anti-snoring Devices

Hundreds of anti-snoring devices are currently available in the market. May they be the very simple ones or the somewhat complex ones, these devices help in alleviating or curing snoring. Such devices include the Snore Ball, the Sandler Pillow, the Sleep Position Monitor, Nasal Strips, and Throat Sprays.

* Anti-snoring Appliances

Anti-snoring appliances refer to instruments that snorers wear inside the mouth. These appliances may work on the tongue, the jaw, the palates, or on all three to alleviate or cure snoring. The following are the most popular, and believed to be the most effective, examples of anti-snoring appliances: Oral Appliances, Tongue Retraining Appliances or TRDs, Mandibular Advancement Appliances or MAAs, and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP.

SURGICAL PROCEDURES

Depending on the gravity and/or indications of snoring, doctors may recommend a surgical procedure as a cure for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (loud snoring disrupted by completely obstructed breathing). Here's a list of some of the most common operations to cure snoring:

* Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) - This procedure trims down the soft palate and the tissues around it, thereby expanding the air passages.

* Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) - Commonly called Laser Surgery, this procedure scars the soft palate's tissue, thereby stiffening and strengthening the soft tissue.

* Somnoplasty - This procedure minimizes the soft tissue found in localized areas.

Now that we have explored some of the numerous ways of alleviating and treating snoring, can you answer the question at the beginning of this article? Can you now point out which is the best treatment for snoring? I guess the answer is simple: The best cure for snoring is, indeed, "not to sleep it away" -- You need to do something about it!