Sunday 30 January 2011

4 Ways To Stop Snoring

If you or someone you live with suffers from snoring then this article will show you popular ways to stop snoring. First we'll discuss the effects of snoring and then talk about what treatment options you have.

There are a number of very good reasons to get rid of your snoring. Probably the one most immediately felt is the improvement in the relations with the people you live with. Studies have shown that married couples that eliminate their snoring see a significant improvement in their marital relations. This is backed by the elimination of the effects of snoring. These include a lack of sleep, drowsiness during the day, irritability toward other people and a decrease in libido.

In addition to the effect on relationships loud snoring has very real consequences for the snorer that many are not aware of. A study published by the Journal Sleep of 12,000 snorers found that there was a 34% increase in heart attack and 67% increase in stroke over people who do not snore.

Luckily there are a few ways to stop snoring and any option depends on what fits you best.

Splints can be used as one of the ways to stop snoring. These are similar to mouth guards people wear in sports. They use bands that tie the bottom and top together. This pulls your lower jaw forward to open your air passage. The side effects of these are a gradual movement of your teeth forward, too much saliva and irritation of the gums. They are available OTC or through a dentist. Splints from a dentist cost around $2000 and are not covered by most health plans. Over the counter splints are available but suffer from an inability to set the correct jaw position.

CPAP machines are available to people who suffer from severe snowing and sleep apnea. There are very few severe side effects but 60% of people who use them stop. Why? Because they are very awkward and uncomfortable to wear. Even with people who don't quit using them they only use them an average of four or five hours per night because of their awkwardness. They also move the jaw and teeth and are the culprits of Smashed Face Syndrome.

Surgery is also one of the ways to stop snoring but it is quite invasive. And of the side effects is the scarring of tissue in the throat. This can actually lead to even more snoring because it further narrows the air passage that is the cause of snoring.

The last option is to use simple jaw and throat exercises that tone up the muscles in that region and prevent the flabby muscles in the throat and jaw to cause snoring.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Kempinen

Thursday 13 January 2011

Evaluating Surgical Solutions And Risks For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Snorers

As the population in the United States becomes more obese every year, the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome is also increasing. In the general population, the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea is 2% in women and 4% in men. The airway obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea patients is due to a decrease in the upper airway muscle tone during sleep and airway narrowing due to the deposition of adipose tissue in pharyngeal structures. The structures that may increase in size due to deposition of fat are the uvula, tonsils, tonsillar pillars, tongue, aryepiglottic folds and the lateral pharyngeal walls.

A careful review of all medical records is very important. The preoperative diagnosis, exact surgical procedure being performed and proper consent for anesthesia and surgery should be noted. Reviewing old medical records can be particularly useful with regard to previous anesthetic history, which may reveal airway difficulties, an unusual response to anesthetic agents and the postoperative course. All co-existing medical conditions and treatments should be noted. In addition to the routine laboratory values, any work-up that has been done specific to obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome such as polysomnographic testing, cephalometric measurements, cardiac or pulmonary function studies should be checked. All consultations should be reviewed and if a specific question arises, the consultant in question should be contacted. A detailed history from the patient and bedpartner if possible should identify patients with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome.

Because of the increased incidence of aspiration of gastric contents, an antacid and metoclopramide should be given to decrease the gastric acidity and volume. Glycopyrrolate to reduce oral secretions and dexametasone to reduce airway edema and nausea and vomiting are generally administered. Obese patients have increased oxygen consumption and decreased lung volumes. Functional residual capacity and expiratory reserve volume are small and patients become desaturated faster during apnea.

Airway edema is a major concern for patients undergoing surgical repair for obstructive sleep apnea. Small airways compounded with surgical trauma or a difficult intubation put obstructive sleep apnea patients at a higher risk for airway compromise. It is of paramount importance for both the anesthesiologist and the surgeon to make all attempts at reducing airway edema in patients undergoing obstructive sleep apnea surgery. Preoperative and postoperative intravenous steroids have routinely been shown to be effective in the reduction of airway edema.

Adequate blood pressure control is very important in the management of a postoperative obstructive sleep apnea patient. Hypertension is more commonly seen in obstructive sleep apnea patients secondary to their heightened sympathetic drive. Consequently, elevated blood pressure leads to more bleeding and increased tissue swelling. Although induced hypotension is not currently used for obstructive sleep apnea surgeries, the patient's blood pressure should be managed prior to the procedure and controlled throughout the perioperative period.

In addition, it is important to remember the sedatives and narcotics used throughout the case, because of their lingering analgesic and depressant effects on the patient. Unfortunately, the spectrum of pharmaceutical options for analgesia ranges from minimal pain relief with a low incidence of side effects, to good pain relief with a higher incidence of side effects. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are usually inadequate for postoperative pain control and standard narcotic dosing or patient-controlled analgesic infusions put the patient at increased risk of obstructive complications. One regimen found to be effective involves lower dosed intravenous narcotics for immediate pain control and oral hydrocodone or acetaminophen with codeine once the patient resumes eating.

A wide variety of therapies have been described to treat sleep disordered breathing. These range from modifying predisposing conditions, reducing medical risk factors such as obesity, appliances in the form of oral, nasal, CPAP(continuous positive airway pressure) machine, and finally upper airway surgeries. These wide variety of techniques makes assessment of effectiveness difficult when it comes to finding an absolute cure for snoring. If you are interested to learn more about how to stop snoring naturally take advantage of this buy one get one free offer.

Tag : snoring,stop snoring,snoring remedies,sleep snoring

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wellyn_Leu

Sunday 2 January 2011

Snoring and the Aging Process

Even though it is impossible to stop the aging process, some things can definitely cause you to age faster. In particular, there is a growing body of evidence to indicate a significant relationship between snoring and various health conditions. Unfortunately, even if you appear to be healthy in every other way, the tendency to snore will still disrupt various cycles tied to the sleep-wake processes. As this toll builds up over the years, it may cause you to look and feel older than your actual age.

Late Onset Diabetes and Disrupted Sleep Cycles

As researchers learn more about the role of melatonin in the body, they are also finding that sleep/waking cycles are also tied to the ebbs and flows of insulin production and carbohydrate digestion. For example, even though you may not be aware of it, blood sugar levels rise naturally during the early morning hours in order to prepare your body for awakening. It is also important to realize that staying up late, or having the lights on during the evening hours will actually prevent your body from producing adequate amounts of melatonin. Over time, this may disrupt a complex system of organs and hormones, to the point where your body will no longer be able to send adequate signals to ensure proper carbohydrate digestion.

Cancer and Snoring

While your mind and body may appear to be at rest, a number of physiological reactions occur while you are sleeping. This includes carrying out all kinds of complex repairs at the cellular level. Because many of these repairs are also tied to melatonin production, disrupted sleep cycles also prevent these processes from being carried out. At the same time, if snoring prevents you from reaching deeper stages of sleep, it may cause even more damage to processes that were designed to help your body cope with the stresses of daily activities.

Stress, Anxiety, and Snoring

Chances are, if something upsets you during the day, you will find it hard to sleep at night. In addition, if you have stressors that last longer than the course of a single day, it is bound to reduce your ability to sleep properly. As you lose more and more hours of sleep, you will become more stressed, because your body is unable to repair itself and rejuvenate during appropriate time intervals.

Needless to say, if you do not find some way to halt this vicious cycle, it can cause all kinds of problems in every part of your life. At the very least, if you notice increased stress levels, you should make it a point to engage in mediation, or some other form of relaxation that will enable you to sleep properly.

Over the years, many people tend to arrive to the conclusion that lack of proper sleep can lead to accelerated aging. As researchers work towards understanding the chemical and biological pathways that, either, prove or disprove this conclusion, doctors and patients are looking for ways to improve sleep efficiency and duration. Without question, if you snore or notice that you tend to feel tired or stressed, it will be of some help to determine if you have a specific sleep disorder.

This is even more important if your blood sugar levels seem to be increasing, or if you have a family history of cancer. While sleeping properly may not cure these diseases, it may just mitigate them to a point where you can enjoy a long and full life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_Alpers