What can you do about snoring?

Snoring can be annoying not only for the person doing it, but also for those around them. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce or prevent snoring, depending on the cause.

Sleeping on your back can cause your tongue and soft palate to fall back, which can block your airway and cause snoring. Sleeping on your side can help prevent this.

Excess weight, especially around the neck, can narrow your airway, making snoring worse. Losing weight can help reduce pressure on your airway. Like alcohol, sleeping pills and sedatives can relax the muscles in your throat and cause snoring. Smoking irritates your airway and can cause inflammation and swelling, which makes snoring worse. Quitting smoking can help keep your airway clear.

There are mouthpieces available, called mandibular advancement devices (MRA), that hold your lower jaw or tongue in place, keeping your airway open during sleep. For people with sleep apnea, a condition often accompanied by snoring, a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device may be helpful.

If snoring is accompanied by other symptoms such as excessive daytime fatigue, stopping breathing during sleep, or waking up feeling suffocated, sleep apnea may be the cause. A sleep study can confirm this and help determine appropriate treatment.

Source: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.6060

Author: Prof. Dr. Dirk Devroey - Latest update: 2023-12-11 - Copyright: Clinifacts 2024