Stertor in medical parlance, snoring occurs when the natural path of inspired air is obstructed by a relaxed soft palate and uvula during sleep. Snoring is also euphemized as sawing logs. Snoring affects at least 30% of the population.
As mentioned previously snoring happens when inspired air moves through a narrowed airway. This narrowing can be caused by several factors. Advanced age and the male gender are predisposing factors of stertor. Other factors include body alignment during sleep, local inflammatory or infectious processes, obesity, and certain drugs.
Most people dismiss snoring as harmless. On the contrary, stertor can be a part or instigate bigger health problems. Snoring is often mentioned in the same breath as sleep apnea. The oxygen supply in the body is compromised when the airway is obstructed. To rectify the imbalance the brain attempts to kickstart breathing by waking the person up intermittently in the night, causing the individual to feel fatigued or wake up to a throbbing headache. The snorer is usually unaware that they intermittently snore then snort when they sleep. Sleep apnea is potentially life threatening as this may lead to brain hypoxia.
The good news is there are snoring cures that specifically address the cause of the stertor. Obese individuals will greatly benefit from losing weight as this will also cause a decrease in the fat tissues surrounding the airway. Treating local inflammation, and smoking and drinking cessation will also decrease snoring. There are also snoring cures which can be bought from the market. Anti snoring mouthpiece are among the most popular instruments.
To keep the airway unobstructed, this implement juts the lower jaw out and keeps the tongue from furling back. These anti snoring mouthpieces can be uncomfortable and can even cause changes to teeth and the jaw itself, hence it is important to have one fitted by a specialist. Anti snoring pillow is also another popular snoring cure. Anti Snoring pillow prevent its users form lying on their back which causes the tongue to fall backward into the throat obstructing the airway.By forcing the body to assume a side lying position, there is less likelihood of a relaxed tongue causing airway obstruction during sleep. Snoring not only affects the individual but those around him as well. Then again, it is never unmanageable.
