Many do not even know that snoring can be treated by official methods. Some (especially women) are embarrassed to admit that they snore. Some people do not dare to bother the doctor “for such trifles.” Some fear that the doctor will send them for surgery, and therefore they don’t say that they snore … In general, about 90{3adb06ac3da8834665bc3a84bdd4b0e5f0bde1d0a51129c4edeb5ea843dac030} of snoring people want to get rid of snoring on their own, but only 10{3adb06ac3da8834665bc3a84bdd4b0e5f0bde1d0a51129c4edeb5ea843dac030} want qualified medical care.
Many do not even know that snoring can be treated by official methods. Some (especially women) are embarrassed to admit that they snore. Some people do not dare to bother the doctor “for such trifles.” Some fear that the doctor will send them for surgery, and therefore they don’t say that they snore … In general, about 90{3adb06ac3da8834665bc3a84bdd4b0e5f0bde1d0a51129c4edeb5ea843dac030} of snoring people want to get rid of snoring on their own, but only 10{3adb06ac3da8834665bc3a84bdd4b0e5f0bde1d0a51129c4edeb5ea843dac030} want qualified medical care.
I do not want anyone to hopelessly unreasonable: home treatment is often ineffective. However, in some cases, it does help reduce or even completely eliminate snoring. Here are some proven methods:
1. Gymnastics for the tongue, soft palate and pharynx
The weakening of these muscles is one of the leading mechanisms of snoring, so strengthening them can really help get rid of it. All exercises are simple, easy to do, you need to do them only for 10 minutes twice a day, morning and evening. On the Internet you will find many options for such exercises. For example:
Sharply pronounce the sounds of “And” and “U”, strongly straining the muscles of the neck.
Hold a wooden stick (or pencil) for three to four minutes in your teeth.
Push the tongue as far forward and down as possible, keeping it in that position for one or two seconds.
Unfortunately, many people have problems with the regularity of training. Shortly after the start of training, they begin to forget whether to skip or be lazy to do the exercises. And there is no exercise – there is no result. Or try to buy anti snoring devices.
2. Pocket on pajamas
Snoring most often occurs when you sleep on your back and on a too low or high pillow. In some cases, you can reduce snoring, if you teach yourself to sleep on your side, on a pillow of medium height (14-16 cm).
To learn how to sleep on the side, you can use one simple technique. Sew on your pajamas pocket. It is necessary that it is located on the back, between the shoulder blades. Place a hard object, such as a tennis ball, overnight. Even if in a dream you unconsciously try to roll over onto your back, the ball will prevent you from doing this. After three to four weeks, a persistent habit of sleeping on your side will be developed.
3. The patch on the nose
In some cases, the cause of snoring is difficulty in nasal breathing: runny nose, narrow nasal passages. In such cases, you can use vasoconstrictor agents (no more than five days in a row!) Or special strips to expand the nasal passages, which are pasted on the wings of the nose and somewhat push them apart. Unfortunately, this does not always help: if you have a bad nose breathing due to polyps or nasal septum curvature, these problems cannot be solved without the help of a doctor.
4. Weight loss
Excess weight is the most common cause of snoring and its complications (obstructive sleep apnea, or breathing stops during sleep). Fat deposits in obese people accumulate not only under the skin, but also in the tissues between the internal organs, including between the structures of the neck. They squeeze the pharynx, causing it to constrict and thus provoking snoring.
If a person began to gain weight and snore immediately appeared, then everything is clear. Losing weight will help. With uncomplicated snoring (without stopping breathing in a dream) a decrease in body weight of only five to seven kilograms can completely eliminate this symptom!
5. Lifestyle change
Recommendations for a healthy lifestyle are appropriate for any health problems. They are so often said about them that no one listens anymore. However, they really help. If you do not want to snore, then you first need to stop:
- to smoke;
- take alcohol in the evening;
- overload yourself in the gym;
- overeat for the night;
- take sleeping pills (many of them cause muscle relaxation, and this increases the likelihood of snoring).
First, snoring can have more than a dozen reasons, and in fact, depending on the reason, it is necessary to choose a treatment method. The person himself usually cannot determine why he is snoring – in order to find out, one needs to be examined. Secondly, many people have two or three reasons for snoring at once, which exacerbates the difficulties with the choice of therapy. Finally, 25{3adb06ac3da8834665bc3a84bdd4b0e5f0bde1d0a51129c4edeb5ea843dac030} of snoring people have already developed obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which home treatment is completely ineffective and even harmful.
During sleep apnea, the patient is disturbed by intermittent sleep and daytime sleepiness, increased blood pressure, decreased potency, night sweats, irritability, decreased performance and many other symptoms. He quickly develops hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, increases the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden death in sleep five times. If you have any signs of this disease, you should consult a somnologist.