8 Health Problems Caused by Snoring

Below is list of health problem that we often encounter suffered friend or close relative, perhaps even by ourselves. In traditional medical we would think that these diseases are caused by dietary factors or lack of exercise. But the latest discoveries in health has found that sleep disturbances during sleep can cause dangerous diseases. Although not all snoring is dangerous. Snoring and excessive sleepiness are two main symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, which means stop of breathing during sleep, can have a direct impact on the health and quality of life. Sleep apnea occurs when muscles in the airway relaxes during sleep. As a result, the airway narrows until it clogs so there is no air can pass. Episodes of stop of breathing can occur for 10 seconds to more than one minute. Because of tighness, the brain will wake up for a moment to draw breath, unwitting sufferer.  As a result, the sleep so fragmented and the patient will feel sleepy during the day. Stopping breathing can happen hundreds of times in one night. Periods of stopping breathing caused drastic changes in oxygen levels and blood pressure person. If sleep apnea left, your body will continue to be overburdened and could eventually lead to many diseases.

Here are 8 health risk associated with sleep apnea:

1. High Blood Pressure
Various studied have shown that sleep apnea is one of the main causes of hypertension. Increased blood pressure is directly related to the degree of severity of sleep apnea. The more severe degree of sleep apnea, the more weight also increases blood pressure. Increased blood pressure can also be experienced by children who suffer from sleep apnea. Since 2003 through the JNC 7 document (the Joint National Comitted on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure),they  input sleep apnea as one of the main causes of hypertension. Since then, the treatment of sleep apnea is included in the goveranance of hypertension.

2. Heart disease
Untreated sleep apnea is one risk factor for heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America in 2005. Sleep apnea increases the risk of irregular heart rate, coronary heart disease, heart attacks and congestive heart disease. A study in 2006 that disclosed in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says that sleep apnea affects even one's heart shape. Patient's heart with sleep apnea is swell and the wall is thicken at one side, and pumping ability is lower.

3. Stroke
Sleep apnea increases a person's risk of stroke (cause of death number 3 in America in 2005). Increased blood viscosity in patients with sleep apnea is a major cause of the increased risk of stroke.

4. Brain damage
Research in the Sleep Journal in 2008 gives an overview of brain image that proved irreversible damage to the brains of people with sleep apnea. Damage occurs in the brain that control memory, emotion and blood pressure.

5. Depression
Research shows that depression often occurs in people with sleep apnea. Even mild sleep apnea had an increased risk of depression. Increased risk of depression will increase along with increasing of severity of stopping breathing.

6. Diabetes
Sleep apnea will disrupt the metabolism, so body will not tolerate to the glucose nd also resistant to insulin. Diabetes type 2, also one of the major causes of death, occurs when the body can not utilize insulin effectively. Various studies have also shown that sleep apnea is likely to be the cause of diabetes. In June 2008 the International Diabetes Federation has issued a guide book to all health workers around the world to pay attention to the possibility of sleep apnea in patients with diabetes.

7. Obesity
Obesity, on race Caucasian (European) becomes a major risk of sleep apnea. But not so in Asian races that have structure over narrow jaw and a short neck. The problem, sleep apnea will improve a person's weight. Metabolic disorders due to fragmanted sleep casuses changes in hormones that control appetite. Sleepiness caused also cause sufferers to be lazy to exercise.

8. Death
Two research in the Sleep Journal 2008 showed that people with sleep apnea have a higher mortality risk than those who do not snore. The risk will increase along with increasing degrees of severity of stopping breathing. Moreover, if sleep apnea is left alone. While deaths from workplace accidents or traffic accidents must be also be considered. In Britain, local government will temporary hold the driver license of sleep apnea patients, until the treatment process. Handling sleep apnea begins with an examination bed in a sleep laboratory. A careful examination of sleep will distinguish ordinary snoring or snoring with sleep apnea. We can get the degree of severity and character of stopping breathing in a person. While the effect on sleep and brain waves during sleep, heart work was also analyzed. Treatment of sleep apnea can be done through several alternatives. Among surgery, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or dental appliances. In the meantime, the gold standard treatment is to use the CPAP, with a very high success rate. Various studies have shown that the use of CPAP will reduce a person's risk of suffering from dangerous diseases that have been mentioned earlier.


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How to Stop Snoring Naturally

Do you want to stop snoring in natural way? Try to apply natural medicine and lifestyle changes as follow.

1. Change your sleeping position
Snoring occurs when the palate, pharynx, tongue, tonsils or throat muscles in the back are touching each other, causing a vibrating sound during sleep. The sound of snoring occurs on supine position so that the tongue pulled back and the air flow are getting narrowed. So try to change the sleeping position to be tilted to avoid snoring. You can go the old school route and place a tennis ball on your back and when you roll over and feel a slight discomfort. If you lay on your back in the middle of the night and do not know you are doing it, this method will help you stop turning on your back and help you sleep better. You must do what you can in order to sleep on your side - if not for yourself but for your partner.

2. Lose 10 percent of body weight
Neck network of overweight people usually thick, which allows the risk snoring. Losing weight is about 10% help you to stop this very annoying habit.

3. Avoid alcohol and sedatives
Whatever type of sedatives such as sleeping pills or low dose of alcohol can cause snoring, because it tends to suppress respiration, therefore stop or reduce the habit of using tranquilizers.

4. Breathe in the steam of water before bed
Nasal congestion can cause snoring, one way to overcome is inhale deep the water vapor with the nose before bed. You can also put a towel that has been dipped in warm water and inhale the steam to remove mucus that causes a stuffy nose.

5. Try a nasal spray drug
Research shows that the drug nasal spray may expel the blockage, thus making the nostril wide open, so you can avoid the snore.
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10 Exercise To Stop Snoring

We know which body organs must be trained to reduce or eliminate snoring, namely:
- tongue: weak tongue can cause it to fall and cover the throat when sleeping on your back.
- jaw muscles: jaw muscles put pressure on the respiratory tract, which is why in this case doctors recommend using a tool to eliminate snoring in the form of dental implants.
- soft palate: if it's weak, it will facilitate the occurrence of vibration and make snoring sounds.
After knowing the organs that need to be trained, we can now determine the form of exercises and training sessions required.

Exercise to reduce / eliminate snoring
With some practice, each focusing on one area in and around the throat, we can remove any block our airways, regardless what has caused the snore. In short is that whatever the obstruction on the part of our breathing, the same few exercises will cure it.
Exercise of the tongue will strengthen the muscles of the tongue and prevent it from falling into the throat during sleeping.
Jaw muscle strengthening exercises will remove the tension and we are confident you will be surprised how much easier you to breathe after doing this exercise regularly.
Throat exercises aim to open up the throat, and prevented from closing during sleeping. This exercise will also strengthen and lift the soft palate so that we will no longer filled with mucus (phlegm).

It's about working smart not hard

You make the choice how many minutes a day you want to practice. You can practice for at least three minutes a day.
But for quick and permanent results, we recommend that you commit to taking a program that takes ten minutes a day. The results of this exercise varies among people with one another depending on how consistent they are doing exercise and the workout time.
We recommend that you at least do the exercise regularly during the first 2 months so you get maximum results. But rest assured prior two months is reached, you will already feel a quiet night and a refreshing morning.

Ten exercises to stop snoring
Exercises to  stop snoring, including part of aerobics to lose weight. Any exercise to stop snoring should consider whether the fat around the neck is causing the snore. Unfortunately you can not reduce fat only in one part of your body. So, if you are overweight, you should try and reach your ideal weight first.

Here are 10 exercises you should do:
- Move the lower and upper molars together very gently. Open your mouth while pressing your  molars as far as you can do to stretch. Perform this exercise for 3-5 minutes. Focus on your molars, still bring them together and lower your jaw. When you get half way through your set, you'll see that the back of your mouth will open more.
- Pull your tongue out as far as possible. Do not overdo it and try to keep it straight. Move the tip of your tongue to the left and right of your mouth as far as can be achieved. Move your tongue up and down like tring to touch your nose and chin without having to touch it. Do this 10-20 times.
- Do the lions position (see picture) and do stretching whole body and facial muscles.
Picture: Exercise with lion position
- Still in lion position, brace your facial muscles by doing pull movements and push your tongue. Do this for 1-2 minutes.
- Wrinkle your face, squeeze and promote both of your lips. Hold the position for five seconds then return to the normal position. Do this 5 times.
- Squeeze tip of your upper and lower teeth, open your mouth and smile as wide as possible for 5 seconds. Do it at least 5 times. Note: this exercise is great to stop snoring.
- Open your mouth as wide as possible slowly to the maximum extent you can, then close slowly until all parts of your lips touching. Repeat as much as 5 times.

- Take a position like you would drink a straw. Breathe the air from the mouth with a vengeance to fulfill your mouth without changing the position of the lips. Hold the air in the mouth for 5 seconds. Repeat as much as 5 times.
 - Take a long pencil, bite hard the end of the pencil but don't be too hard because it can cause a pain in your teeth. Hold for 5 minutes. This exercise is good for the jaw muscles, lips, throat to the ear. 
- Press your finger to the chin for 1 to 3 minute.

    
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10 Facts About Snoring

1. ) Snoring is a major social problem for many families. It can deprive the sufferer and their partner of good sleep, which has consequences for daytime functioning.

2. ) Snoring occurs in all age groups but especially with the middle aged population. Snoring is extremely common, with up to 60% of men and 40% of women snoring to some extent or on some nights. About 25% snore on most nights.

3.) Snoring occurs when oxygen does not flow smoothly through a persons air passages, or when the soft tissues or muscles in your throat vibrate during sleep.

4. ) The noise is made by the walls of the pharynx (the part of the throat at the back of the tongue).

5. ) The narrower your airway becomes, the greater the vibration and the louder your snoring.

6. ) Snoring is associated with health problems such as an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.


7. ) About 10% of snorers also suffer from sleep apnea, which is a condition associated with high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.


8. ) Although many people snore, less than 5% of people have sought help from their doctor for snoring.

9. ) The first step to discuss snoring is with your doctor. Your doctor may suggest a referral to a specialist in sleep disorders.

10. ) Many snoring remedies have been suggested but few have been shown to be effective.

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5 Simple Tips on How to Stop Snoring

How to stop snoring in simple ways, you can try 5 simple tips below.

(1) Change Your Sleeping Position
Many snorers sleep on their backs. This can restrict the airways, so change to sleeping on your side. There are devices to help you do this, like anti snoring pillow that will help your sleeping position. Or, a simple home remedy is to attach a tennis ball to the back of your pajamas. You can go the old school route and place a tennis ball on your back and when you roll over and feel a slight discomfort. If you lay on your back in the middle of the night and do not know you are doing it, this method will help you stop turning on your back and help you sleep better. You must do what you can in order to sleep on your side - if not for yourself but for your partner.

(2) Stop Snoring Devices
Get to know the anti-snoring devices available to you over the counter, like snoring mouthpieces, anti-snore pillows, nasal strips, chin straps, and so on.

(3) Make Some Lifestyle Adjustments
If you're overweight then this puts you at a higher risk of snoring.  So check your weight position with your doctor. If you're overweight you better less 10% of your weight. Your last meal should be 3 to 4 hours before bed. Smoking and drinking also give higher risk. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes if you can, certainly no alcohol in the evening.

(4) Review Your Medication
Many drugs cause your muscles to relax and can cause snoring. So review your medication. But don't stop them without first talking to your doctor.

(5) Surgery to Stop Snoring
Of course this is a last resort. But, if nothing else works for you, then you might consider having a conversation with your doctor about the surgery option.

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The Causes of Snoring

Snoring maybe caused by several things, not just by nature. Our lifestyles and health factors can also contribute to our chances of suffering from snoring.

The following are some examples:
1.) Obesity 
Being overweight causes fat to build up around the throat, constricting the airways more than usual. This can contribute to other conditions such as a deviated septum, resulting in much more frequent snoring. There is no quick fix for it. You simply have to lose the weight. They can take a long time, especially when you're not sleeping well. Since stress can contribute to bad lifestyle choices and sleeplessness can contribute stress, sometimes the cause of snoring is also a cause of continuing obesity. It really can be a vicious cycle.

2.)  Drinking too much / Excessive alcohol
Acohol relaxes the throat muscles which as we learned will be the immediate problem of excessive snoring. By eliminating any alcoholic beverages just before bedtime you can avoid many of the problems associated with the snoring.

3.) Smoking
There are many reasons not to smoke and among them are the modification to your throat. Over time mucous will build up in the throat to ease the smoke and nicotine passing through it and reduce inflammation. A larger than normal amount of mucous can be released which will cause the small blood vessels in the lungs to swell along with the throat. When this happens the air ways are again being blocked causing the increased snoring. Sleep apnea is also a problem caused by these blockages and can cause breathing interruptions. These interruptions are caused by irregular breathing patterns. This results to snoring and poor sleep.

4.) Sleep Patterns
Going to bed at the same time and getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep will help keep your snoring in check. When your sleep pattern is interrupted your breathing will become unbalanced which can cause snoring. Noises from your bed partner or other things will also cause unbalanced breathing and snoring. Try to make your sleeping area as quiet as possible. Sometimes soothing sounds or white noises from a recording will help mask other disturbing sounds.

5.) Sleeping Positions-Due to gravity pulling on their tongue and throat muscles, people who sleep on their backs usually have more problems with snoring than ones who sleep on their sides. Along with the gravity the throat is in a more restful position, which causes parts of the throat and tongue to drop down and restrict the air flow cause a person to snore.
By sleeping in an elevated position there will be some relief. The recommended amount is about 30 degrees. With this elevation your diaphragm is relaxed and the tongue won't restrict the air flow through the throat area. 

6.) Allergies,hay fever and smoking may lead to narrowed nasal passages and aggravate snoring.

7.) Drying of the nasal cavities - allergy medications.
8.) Cold and flu - blocked noses.
9.) Thickening of the tissues along the nasal passage.
10.) Pot belly - large stomach.
11.) Irritation of the air passages due to overuse of nasal sprays.
12.) Enlargement of the tonsils or the adenoids.
13.) Smoking which causes inflammation in the air passages.
14.) Swelling of the thyroid gland or goitre.
15.) Blockage of the airflow due to large tongue.
16.) Medications that initiate relaxation, can cause throat muscle relaxation, eg sleeping tablets, anesthetic drugs, oral steroids and epilepsy drugs.
17.) Abnormal lumps: such as nasal polyps, a large tongue or thyroid swellings can narrow the airway. In children large tonsils and adenoids are a common cause of snoring.
18.) Inherited factors: Variations in the shape of the jaw, airway, face or nose may result in some people having a small airway. 

In general terms, the main contributor to snoring is a simple restriction to the airways and this is as a result of any one of the above factors. In most cases it is as a result of the softening of the tissue surrounding the airways, or the pressure applied by excess weight on the air passages.
There are many ways to control snoring and they come in a variety of natural remedies and manufactured prevention devices.

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About Snoring

We all know about snoring, maybe we are a snorer, or maybe our spouse is a snorer.
In general terms, the medical definition of snoring is classified as a noise caused by the vibration of airways within the respiratory tract and only happens whilst a person is sleeping.

Why do we only snore when we are at our most restful state?
While we breathe 24/7, the reason we only snore when we are asleep is due to the fact that the muscles in the throat have to be relaxed muscles, before they can cause snoring. During our sleep, our voluntary acting muscles become relaxed. Our throat rests while we sleep. Because the tissues in our throat are soft and relaxed they are perfectly positioned to vibrate, thus cause sound which is commonly called snoring.
Once this soft and relaxed tissue eases out, the normally large air passages revert into narrower passages. The result of the narrowing passages can cause loud noises due to the increased vibration. The size of these restricted passages will have an impact on the pitch and tone of the vibrations. This is why the sounds of snoring can be very different.
The volume of a snore is directly affected by the force of the air flowing through the air passages. If the speed of the airflow is faster, then the snore, is typically louder and more resonant.
Snoring is one of the common ailments of man. It is said that 90% of men snore while there are a couple of women who do too.It is suggested that men have more fleshy necks as they are generally a little wider than women.In addition, women by their nature, produce progesterone hormones. They are known to effectively inhibit snoring in many cases. As a result of this knowledge, some anti-snoring devices are known to use progesterone as their basic ingredient.
Interestingly, babies are also capable of snoring too. In their case however, it is not generally considered as snoring but only as moderate noises created by the respiratory tract. We should not ignore this however, as it may have long term detrimental results. Children with large tonsils for example, can also suffer from snoring but do respond well after they are removed.

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