THE IGBO GIANT STRIDES AGAINST ALL ODDS
9 years ago
How do you feel when your partner sleeping by your side snores at night? Quite noisy! Here comes a solution.
Just about everyone snores occasionally. Even a baby! But snoring can affect the quantity and quality of sleep.
Snoring is not just a night time annoyance; it can be a serious health issue, disrupting normal sleeping patterns and disturbing partners as they try to sleep through the noise.
One British survey found that if your spouse snores, by your 50th wedding anniversary you will have lost about four years’ worth of sleep.
Besides just feeling tired all the time, people who don’t get enough sleep can develop memory and mood problems; they are even at a greater risk of car accidents. Heavy snorers should see a doctor to make sure they don’t have a serious sleeping disorder called sleep apnea.
Dr. Osi Ogbu, Consultant Physician Geriatrician at the National Hospital, Abuja says there are many reasons why anyone will snore and this must be known. “The muscles at the back of the mouth may become lax rather than firm and does not open up for air to move freely. They fall to themselves, and thereby reduce space for air to flow. Same thing when we sleep, those muscles should relax and make effortless flow of air as you breathe. When the flow is obstructed either because the tonsils are enlarged, then the person will snore. Also, we find out that people who are obese, when they sleep, they fall back on themselves, they do not keep the air way open, the tongue could all fall back and obstruct the airway,” Dr. Ogbu says.
Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the airway, either from poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in the throat. A narrow airway gets in the way of smooth breathing and creates the sound of snoring.
Common causes of snoring
• Age. As one reaches middle age and beyond, the throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in the throat decreases.
• The way you one is built. Men have narrower air passages than women and are more likely to snore.
• Nasal and sinus problems. Blocked airways make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring.
• Being overweight or out of shape. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.
• Sleep posture. Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.
To overcome snoring, Dr. Ogbu suggests the following ways “If you have tonsillitis, we treat you with antibiotics. And for those who are obese, we tell them to lose weight to an optimal Body Mass Index. While you are losing weight, there are also machines we can use to help you open the air ways. Machines that will forcefully open the air ways while you are sleeping. They are called Positive Airway Pressure Machine.”
These nasal strips can actually be very helpful for a person who snores. These strips are adhesive and are applied to the nose in a way that helps to keep the nasal passages open for the duration of the night. These do work for a lot of people, however long term use is not the best thing as they can get expensive, and really you would not be getting to the root cause of the problem.
Nasal congestion accounts for only ten per cent of snoring cases, meaning only ten per cent of snorers will find breathe right strips (which hold your nasal passages open as you sleep) to be an effective remedy. Still, reviews by users, tests by manufacturers and recommendations by doctors all point to Breathe Right Nasal Strips as the most effective as over-the-counter treatment for chronic snoring. The verdict on Breathe Right Nasal Strips is that they can’t do any harm, but they can’t control snoring nearly as well as behavioral or postural change, oral appliances or surgery.
And for home remedies, you can use extra pillows. Try propping your head up with an extra pillow to stop snoring. This opens your airway more, which prevents the back of the throat from collapsing and causing snoring.
Sleeping the right position can also reduce snoring. Everyone knows that snorers are so much louder when they are lying on their back. This snoring remedy can be used to keep you on your side and that prevents you from rolling onto your back are a great idea. Also, not often thought of in stop snoring remedies is the position of your head and neck. Ideally, your head, neck and chest should be in alignment to facilitate smooth movement of air through your airways.
Snoring is not just a night time annoyance; it can be a serious health issue, disrupting normal sleeping patterns and disturbing partners as they try to sleep through the noise.
One British survey found that if your spouse snores, by your 50th wedding anniversary you will have lost about four years’ worth of sleep.
Besides just feeling tired all the time, people who don’t get enough sleep can develop memory and mood problems; they are even at a greater risk of car accidents. Heavy snorers should see a doctor to make sure they don’t have a serious sleeping disorder called sleep apnea.
Dr. Osi Ogbu, Consultant Physician Geriatrician at the National Hospital, Abuja says there are many reasons why anyone will snore and this must be known. “The muscles at the back of the mouth may become lax rather than firm and does not open up for air to move freely. They fall to themselves, and thereby reduce space for air to flow. Same thing when we sleep, those muscles should relax and make effortless flow of air as you breathe. When the flow is obstructed either because the tonsils are enlarged, then the person will snore. Also, we find out that people who are obese, when they sleep, they fall back on themselves, they do not keep the air way open, the tongue could all fall back and obstruct the airway,” Dr. Ogbu says.
Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the airway, either from poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in the throat. A narrow airway gets in the way of smooth breathing and creates the sound of snoring.
Common causes of snoring
• Age. As one reaches middle age and beyond, the throat becomes narrower, and the muscle tone in the throat decreases.
• The way you one is built. Men have narrower air passages than women and are more likely to snore.
• Nasal and sinus problems. Blocked airways make inhalation difficult and create a vacuum in the throat, leading to snoring.
• Being overweight or out of shape. Fatty tissue and poor muscle tone contribute to snoring.
• Sleep posture. Sleeping flat on your back causes the flesh of your throat to relax and block the airway.
To overcome snoring, Dr. Ogbu suggests the following ways “If you have tonsillitis, we treat you with antibiotics. And for those who are obese, we tell them to lose weight to an optimal Body Mass Index. While you are losing weight, there are also machines we can use to help you open the air ways. Machines that will forcefully open the air ways while you are sleeping. They are called Positive Airway Pressure Machine.”
These nasal strips can actually be very helpful for a person who snores. These strips are adhesive and are applied to the nose in a way that helps to keep the nasal passages open for the duration of the night. These do work for a lot of people, however long term use is not the best thing as they can get expensive, and really you would not be getting to the root cause of the problem.
Nasal congestion accounts for only ten per cent of snoring cases, meaning only ten per cent of snorers will find breathe right strips (which hold your nasal passages open as you sleep) to be an effective remedy. Still, reviews by users, tests by manufacturers and recommendations by doctors all point to Breathe Right Nasal Strips as the most effective as over-the-counter treatment for chronic snoring. The verdict on Breathe Right Nasal Strips is that they can’t do any harm, but they can’t control snoring nearly as well as behavioral or postural change, oral appliances or surgery.
And for home remedies, you can use extra pillows. Try propping your head up with an extra pillow to stop snoring. This opens your airway more, which prevents the back of the throat from collapsing and causing snoring.
Sleeping the right position can also reduce snoring. Everyone knows that snorers are so much louder when they are lying on their back. This snoring remedy can be used to keep you on your side and that prevents you from rolling onto your back are a great idea. Also, not often thought of in stop snoring remedies is the position of your head and neck. Ideally, your head, neck and chest should be in alignment to facilitate smooth movement of air through your airways.
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