Snoring - Causes and Treatment. How to stop snoring

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Ventilation disorders during sleep is very common. It affects around 30 % of General population.
The main mechanism of snoring is narrowing of the upper aerodigestive tract during sleep, due to changes in position, muscle tone and soft tissue hypertrophy or laxity - looseness of a muscles.
The most common areas of obstruction are oropharynx and the base of the tongue.
Snoring can be isolated, which is mostly social problem but, If a snorer is having un-refreshing sleep, feeling of choking, recurrent awakening from sleep, daytime fatigue, and change in personality, he/she has crossed the line of demarcation between snoring and potentially life-threatening disease.
But it can be accompanied with long periods cessation of airflow. Which Is called obstructive sleep apnea. Long periods of obstructive sleep apnea can have serious, life threatening physiologic sequelae.
Symptoms of Snoring include:
Snoring itself, which is noisy vibration of respiratory structures due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The sound may be soft or loud and unpleasant.
Daytime sleepiness,
Daytime headache and weight gain.
Causes:
Snoring is the result of the relaxation of the uvula and soft palate.
These tissues can relax enough to partially block the airway, resulting in irregular airflow and vibrations.
Risk factors for snoring can be:
Genetic predisposition. Obesity, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles.
Obesity, that has caused fat to gather in and around the throat.
Obstruction in the nasal passageway.
Sleep deprivation.
Relaxants such as alcohol or other drugs relaxing throat muscles.
Sleeping on one's back, which may result in the tongue dropping to the back of the mouth.
Mouth breathing.
Treatment:
There is no medication that can completely stop snoring.
But, Management protocol includes behavioral modifications such as weight loss, change in sleep position from supine to lateral and avoiding of alcohol, hypnotics, and narcotics before bedtime. Definitive modalities include continuous positive airway pressure, surgery to enlarge upper airway, and oral appliances.
Oral appliances are another simple, efficient and cost-effective alternative of treating obstructive sleep apnea. An oral appliance is an oral device that is inserted in the mouth to modify the upper airway for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
Oral appliances should be fitted by qualified dental personnel who are trained and experienced in the overall care of oral health, temporo-mandibular joint, dental occlusions, and associated oral structures. They basically allow the lower jaw and tongue to remain in a forward position during sleep, thereby preventing them from falling back and obstructing the airway.

If breathing through the nose is impaired, rhinological or rhinosurgical treatment is recommended;
Medications are usually not helpful in treating snoring symptoms, though they can help control some of the underlying causes such as nasal congestion and allergic reactions.
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