Snore-Gonomics - Snoring

Snoring Treatments and Remedies

Treatments and Remedies

General Cures and Recommendations

• Avoiding sedatives and antihistamines.

• Lose weight to increase the airway space.

• Daily exercise to improve muscle tone.

• Quit smoking.

• Get treatment for allergies is you have them.

• Sleep on your side instead of your back (when you sleep on your back, your tongue falls backwards into your throat, which can narrow your airway and partially block airflow).

• Avoiding alcohol and heavy meals 3-4 hours before bedtime.

• Sleeping with a pillow that supports the neck and does not cause the head to be held at a sharp angle.

• Keeping the air moist in your bedroom, as dry air causes the membranes to more readily collapse.

• Nasal sprays for snorer whose nasal passages are blocked due to swelling or increased mucous.

• Oral appliances with a cost range from $50 to $2,000.

• Read about sleep disorders.

Self-Cures for Snoring

Mild snoring that isn’t related to sleep apnea responds well to home remedies. Finding a cure for your snoring problem can result in an improved quality of life for you and your loved ones. Try some of the self-help tips below to prevent or alleviate your snoring.

Lose weight, Stop smoking

Losing weight will reduce the fatty tissue in your airway. Eating less and improving your fitness level can significantly improve your ability to breathe freely when you sleep.

Stopping smoking or reducing exposure to secondhand smoke can help with the noise and intensity of your snoring.

Improve your sleep posture

Do you sleep on your back? If so, you are probably exacerbating your snoring problem - in this sleeping position, the soft tissues in the back of your throat (including your tongue) are more prone to slide backwards, blocking your airway. If you are a mild snorer, switching to sleeping on your side might cure your snoring altogether.

However, it can be hard to break the habit of sleeping on your back. Try the “tennis ball trick”: sleep with a tennis ball (or any ball of approximately the same size) attached to the back of your pajama top. (You can sew a pocket or safety pin a sock to the back of the pajama top, then put a tennis ball in it.) The tennis ball is uncomfortable if you lie on your back, and you will respond by turning on your side. Soon you will develop side-sleeping as a habit and not need the tennis ball.

Elevate your head

Try sleeping without a pillow; pillows can block your airway by bending your neck. You can also use a specially designed pillow for snorers, available online or at specialty stores.

An even better solution is to elevate the head of your bed four inches, which may make breathing easier and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward. Elevating the entire head of the bed is better than using a pillow, which can crimp the neck and contribute to snoring. Placing rolled up towels under the head of the mattress is an easy way to change the angle of the mattress.

Avoid certain foods, alcohol, and sedatives before bed

If you tend to drink alcohol at night, try to cut back. Alcohol is a muscle relaxant; it will relax the muscles in your airways, which can worsen snoring. Likewise, you may be taking sleeping pills or tranquilizers to help you sleep, but be aware - these sedatives also relax your muscles.

Avoid high-fat dairy milk products or soymilk products before sleeping. Non-skim milk products and soymilk products, because of their thickness, can keep mucus from draining properly. The result is mucus retained in the throat, which can lead to snoring.

Clear your nasal passages

Having a stuffy nose makes inhalation difficult, which in turn creates a vacuum in your throat, and noisy breathing. In fact, people who seldom snore often find themselves snoring quite loudly when suffering from allergies or a cold.

Nasal decongestants can help you breathe more easily through your nose while sleeping. There are also homeopathic solutions available, like nasal strips that claim to “open” the nasal passages. On the other hand, you should avoid antihistamines for allergies or stuffiness. Antihistamines relax the throat muscles, which can in turn cause snoring.

Medical cures and treatments for snoring

If your own efforts to stop snoring do not help, consult your physician or an Otolaryngologist (ENT, or ear, nose, and throat doctor). Also, if you choose to try a dental appliance for your snoring, you will need to see a dentist specializing in these devices.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

To keep your airway open during sleep, a machine at your bedside blows pressurized air into a mask that you wear over your nose or face.

Dental appliances, oral devices, and lower jaw positioners

Dental devices, which often resemble the mouth guards worn by athletes, can help open your airway by bringing your lower jaw or your tongue forward during sleep. Most dental devices are acrylic and fit inside your mouth; others fit around your head and chin to adjust the position of your lower jaw. A dentist specializing in sleep disorders can help fit you for one of these devices.

Surgery

Certain surgeries, including Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities. Using a scalpel, laser, or microwaving probe (radio frequency energy), a surgeon may remove tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose, or reconstruct the jaw.

The Pillar procedure, or palatal implantation, is a new surgery, which has shown promising results for snorers. Small plastic implants, less than an inch-long in size, are inserted into the soft palate using a syringe-like instrument. The procedure is usually performed in a doctor’s office under local anesthesia, with little pain and mild side effects. Scar tissue builds up around the implants, causing the tissue of the soft palate to stiffen, which ceases the vibrations that cause snoring. The downside of this procedure, and any surgical cure, for that matter, is the expense, and most insurance does not cover surgery for snoring.