Snoring is a phenomenon that occurs due to the vibration of air flow of soft tissues in the throat. Snoring not only makes a noise that is annoying to people around, but also reflects the health status of that person.
Causes of snoring
There are many causes of snoring. The relaxation of the tongue muscles during sleep, along with the movement of air flow in the throat, creates vibrations and pressure in the airways, causing snoring. During sleep, the organs are all in a resting state, at this time the throat and tongue muscles are less active, so they are easily dilated/sagging, pressing on the airways.
In addition, age is also a factor, older people are more likely to snore. Factors that cause the flow of air through the nose and mouth to be blocked or obstructed, causing snoring include:
- Snoring is linked to alcohol and sleeping pills – muscle relaxants.
- Due to obesity – puts pressure on the airways.
- Due to some diseases such as: Flu, allergies, stuffy nose - blocked nose (due to deviated septum, adenoids, nasal polyps...) so you have to breathe through your mouth.
- Due to smoking: Smokers snore twice as much as non-smokers, due to inflammation of the airways and nasal congestion.
- Due to sleeping position, studies show that sleeping on your back can easily cause snoring.
In addition, some people have unscientific living and resting habits that can also lead to snoring while sleeping.
Snoring not only affects daily activities but is also a warning sign that your health may be suffering from dangerous diseases. Illustration photo.
Snoring causes many health consequences
Snoring that occurs over a long period of time, if left untreated, will affect the snorer and those around them, especially those with apnea.
Obstruction of the airway will cause interruption of breathing during sleep. In patients with apnea, each pause in breathing can last up to 10 seconds. Patients are easily awakened during sleep, have difficulty falling back to sleep, and have poor sleep.
Sleep apnea causes the patient to constantly have to maintain breathing, making the body tired and having difficulty sleeping.
Insomnia and difficulty sleeping often cause patients to have poor health and poor concentration at work.
Prolonged snoring can cause other diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and possibly stroke.
The blockage reduces the supply of oxygen to the blood. The amount of oxygen to the brain also decreases, making the patient susceptible to headaches and dizziness. The longer the headache is left untreated, the more chronic and uncomfortable it becomes.
In short, snoring has many levels, from normal airway obstruction to sleep apnea. This causes the patient to have sleep disorders and affects the quality of life such as fatigue, decreased concentration, decreased memory... even dangerous when stopping breathing. Therefore, snoring should be treated as soon as possible.
Simple ways to prevent snoring effectively
Need to change sleeping position
Sleeping on your back can lead to snoring, so sleeping with your head elevated or on your side can help treat snoring. Because people who sleep on their backs are more likely to snore because their tongues are pushed down, causing the base of the tongue to block the airway, leading to obstruction and causing loud snoring while sleeping.
Don't eat too much, need to maintain a reasonable weight
Obesity is one of the causes of snoring. Because in obese people, the fat tissue in the neck will compress the throat when sleeping, causing the airway to narrow and causing snoring. Therefore, to effectively treat snoring, keeping weight at a reasonable level is very necessary.
In addition, you should not eat too much, especially dinner, which is not good for the stomach and can easily cause snoring. Walking and light exercise after dinner will be a useful method to help digest faster and fall asleep easier, helping you sleep more deeply without snoring.
Drink enough water, drink warm water before going to bed
The body needs water, so we need to drink enough water every day, drinking enough 2 liters of water every day will help limit dehydration. Because dehydration makes nasal and throat secretions become thicker and more viscous, causing difficulty in circulating air when breathing. Therefore, providing enough water for the body will be an effective method to treat snoring.
Before going to bed, you can drink a little warm water to reduce snoring, because warm water helps the throat to be moist and warm, limiting snoring while sleeping. Some types of warm herbal teas that help support sleep are the perfect choice to help us sleep better and limit snoring.
Limit alcohol use and use sedatives when prescribed.
Substances such as alcohol and sedatives will stimulate the muscles behind the throat, leading to loud snoring when sleeping. Moreover, sleeping after drinking alcohol and sedatives will make us sleep very deeply, and snoring will affect everyone around us. Therefore, you should limit your alcohol intake to protect your health and reduce snoring. In case you need to take sedatives, you should take the medicine at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Get enough sleep and on time
Going to bed on time and getting enough sleep will help your body recover after a day of activity. Sleeping on time not only helps your body's organs rest, especially your brain and immune system, but is also a great way to treat snoring.
Not getting enough sleep makes the body fall into a state of fatigue, reduces activity and works less effectively. Not only that, people who do not sleep on time, do not sleep well are at risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and are at risk of sleep apnea, especially in people who are snoring.
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