How do you treat and correct your snoring?

Snoring is sometimes seen as something funny, but is actually very serious. First of all, your snoring keeps your bed-mate and housemates awake. In addition, snoring is in many cases a sign of the potentially fatal condition of sleep apnea syndrome.

Here are the 10 most important causes of snoring, numerous tips to stop snoring and advice to treat sleep apnea ...

How does snoring occur?

Snoring is caused by the slackening of the tongue during your sleep. A flaccid tongue sinks towards your throat & narrows the airways when you lie on your back. The tongue makes your breathing more difficult and you automatically suck air in with more force. Because of the stronger suction the soft palate and the uvula are sucked towards the larynx. The tissues cause the tissues to vibrate and a moderate to extremely loud snoring noise occurs.

Snoring is therefore - directly or indirectly - always caused by weak tissues (tongue, uvula, palate, tonsils, etc.) in the back of the nasal pharynx.

The 10 major causes of snoring

• Almonds (from nose & throat)
• Polyp (in the back of your nose)
• Hay fever or pollen allergy
• Overweight & obesity
• Age (the older, the worse)
• Hormones (pregnancy, transition, etc.)
• Medications (tranquillizers and others)
• Alcohol (relaxes the throat muscles)
• Smoking (irritates the mucous membranes)
• Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS)

Below we discuss the causes of snoring - one by one, along with the associated symptoms and treatments. Hopefully you will stop snoring thanks to this information!

1. Snoring because of your nose & throat almonds

Your tonsils are often the cause of snoring ... Your tonsils are part of your lymphatic system; your lymphatic system is part of your immune system. The transition from the mouth and nasal cavity to the throat contains many and thick lymph tissue. The two best known thickenings are:

• Nose almond (the thickened tissue in the roof of the nasal pharynx)
• Throat tonsils (the thickened tissue on both said in the back of the throat)

In some people, the tonsils can not control the many pathogens that are inhaled. As a result, a chronic (permanent) infection of the tonsils can occur, giving you various symptoms (fever, sore throat, sinusitis etc.) and can not stop snoring.

So you can start to snore enormously if your nose and / or throat tonsils are infected by a virus or bacteria, are naturally extremely large or swollen by irritation or an allergic reaction.

Stop snoring because of your throat & nose almonds

If you snore often and hard due to large, inflamed and / or swollen tonsils, these can be removed (partially) surgically. Cutting almonds can stop you from snoring!

2. Snoring at the hands of a nasal polyp

Many people snore because of a polyp. A polyp or nose polyp involves a small swelling in the nasal mucosa that covers the inside of your nasal cavity. A nasal polyp is usually caused by a local, allergic reaction. This causes the nasal mucosa to swell up locally, eventually forming a small "bag" consisting of mucous membrane. A polyp can cause you to snore hard and can not stop snoring.

Treatment of snoring because of polyp in your nose

If you snore because of a nasal polyp, you can get medication such as Flixonase (fluticasone) or Nasonex (mometasone). If medication does not work, the polyp can always be removed surgically if you want to stop snoring.

3. Hay fever can cause snoring

Many people who snore and loudly snore - contend - consciously or not - with hay fever. Hay fever means that you are allergic to pollen from flowers, grasses, plants and / or trees. If you inhale pollen while you are allergic to it, your nose and throat mucus will swell, causing you to suffer from snoring. Pollen is also called 'pollen'; hay fever is therefore also known as pollen allergy or pollinosis. If you snore a lot, then there may well be hay fever!

Treating hay fever to stop snoring

If you suffer from excessive snoring, let yourself be tested for allergies. Your doctor can refer you to the general practice laboratory for an allergy test. If it turns out that you are suffering from hay fever, you will usually be prescribed medicines (antihistamines) which will stop you from snoring.

4. Snoring can be caused by obesity

The heavier you are, the more likely you are to snore. Because the higher your fat percentage, the greater the fat accumulation around the throat. Fat around your throat causes the pharynx to narrow ... And a narrow pharynx again ensures that the soft tissue in the back of the throat (uvula, tonsils & tongue) is sucked together and vibrates, causing a violent snoring sound.

Stop snoring due to overweight

You can not just treat excess weight or obesity, so there is no easy way to stop snoring due to obesity. People with overweight snore by far the loudest when they sleep on their backs ... So you can possibly try to sew a tennis ball in the back of your pajamas if you want to stop snoring. Losing weight is the most effective treatment for snoring due to obesity.

5. Snoring gets worse with age (weak throat muscles)

Age is one of the main causes of snoring. As you get older, the muscles in the back of your throat become slacker. The softer your throat muscles, the harder you will snore. If you have never snorted your life for a long time, then it is best to stay that way. If you snore at a young age, then the chances are that you are an extremely hard snorer at 60 or 65 years of age.

Eliminate age-related & health-related snoring

Unfortunately, you can not do much against the natural aging process. However, you can help prevent snoring by eating healthy and varied throughout your life, exercising frequently and not smoking. If you snore because of weak throat muscles, you can best sleep on your back. You will not stop snoring, but you limit the noise to a minimum.

6. Snoring under the influence of hormones & hormone fluctuations

Both men and women can snore worse under the influence of their hormones. This makes it difficult for you to stop snoring in case of:

• Pregnancy
• Transition & menopause
• Period
• Problems with the menstrual cycle
• Use of hormonal medicines
• Use of hormonal contraceptives
• Thyroid abnormalities (related to thyroid hormone)
• Adrenal abnormalities (related to adrenal cortex hormone)

Stop snoring because of hormones & hormone regulation

If you snore at the hands of your hormones, then there is relatively little to do. In case of health complications, you can ask your doctor for research and / or medication. In general, you can not just stop snoring, because you can not simply change your hormone balance.

7. Snoring is often caused by medication

Certain medications cause the muscles to relax at the back of your throat. Thus, the soft tissue in the back of your throat is sucked in more easily with every breath and you snore. Especially sleeping pills and tranquilizers have a relaxing effect that promotes snoring.

Adjust medication to stop snoring

If your snoring is caused by medication, snoring is relatively easy to treat. You can simply avoid all sleeping pills and tranquillizers to stop snoring. Note: stopping medication should also be medically advisable or feasible.

8. Alcohol can be the cause of excessive snoring

Alcohol is one of the main causes of snoring. Alcohol loosens your throat muscles and causes snoring. The more alcohol you consume, the softer your throat tissues become and the more difficult it is to stop snoring. Moreover, alcohol also causes respiratory arrest and sleep apnea (see cause 10).

Limit alcohol intake so that you stop snoring

If you drink a few wines or beers every night, then the chances are that you snore regularly. Stopping alcohol use is therefore an excellent treatment against snoring. If you want to stop snoring, you simply do not have to take a "nightcap" anymore.

9. Snoring because of cigarette smoking (tobacco)

Smoking is a common cause of snoring. Certain substances in tobacco smoke (tar, nicotine, benzene, etc.) stimulate the mucous membranes that line the pharynx. If your throat mucosa is stimulated, chances are that it will swell, causing you to snore severely.

Stop smoking = stop snoring

Stopping smoking is therefore an excellent way to stop snoring. If you can commit yourself to stop lighting cigarettes, you will probably no longer need treatment for snoring.

10. Snoring due to sleep apnea & respiratory arrest

Sleep apnea means that the muscles are weakened at the back of the throat. You start snoring by vibrating your sagging throat muscles. Moreover, the relaxed throat muscles block your airways, so you can not breathe briefly. This principle is also called "respiratory arrest".

10.1 When do you have sleep apnea syndrome?

If you get a breath of silence 5 times a night, people also speak of 'sleep apnea syndrome' (SAS). Sleep apnea syndrome causes an oxygen deficiency during your sleep. With an oxygen deficiency your brain gives a signal to wake up. Usually you wake up with a shock, and your "normal" breathing is resumed.

10.2 How do you recognize sleep apnea syndrome?

A sleep apnea syndrome can be recognized by a number of symptoms & symptoms. The breathing stops that are very characteristic of sleep apnea are not always noticed. If you suspect that you are suffering from sleep apnea syndrome during your sleep, pay particular attention to the following symptoms of sleep apnea:

• Loud & heavy snoring
• Sweating during the night
• Waking scare with choking sensation
• Headache when waking up
• Dry mouth when waking up
• Sore throat when waking up
• Fatigue & lethargy during the day

10.3 The risks and dangers of sleep apnea syndrome

Sleep apnea syndrome is annoying, dangerous and sometimes even life-threatening! The main risks and dangers of sleep apnea syndrome are:

1. Lethargy - Sleep apnea ensures that you wake up regularly. And the hours which you sleep are usually of poor quality. So you are not very energetic during the day.
2. High blood pressure - By blocking your breathing, your heart does not pump enough oxygen through your body. This increases your blood pressure and can cause hypertension.
3. Heart failure - Sleep apnea syndrome increases the risk of heart disease such as cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and eventually even a cardiac arrest.
4. Infarction - When sleep apnea syndrome disrupts heart rhythm, blood clots may develop. Clots can block veins and thus cause a heart attack or cerebral infarction.

10.4 Stop snoring (due to sleep apnea)

Five percent of the Dutch population suffers to a greater or lesser extent from sleep apnea, nightly respiratory arrest and snoring. Here are some solutions and treatments for sleep apnea syndrome to also stop snoring:

1. Sleep apnea test - The sleep apnea test is a handy online home test that can determine if you are suffering from sleep apnea. Note: the sleep apnea test offers insight, no definitive answer.
2. Sleep apnea device - A sleep apnea device is a box with sensors that measure the oxygen concentration in your blood. This way you have a definite answer in no time.
3. Sleep apnea mask - If you are definitely suffering from sleep apnea, you usually get a mask that maintains a continuous positive airway pressure during your sleep.
4. Mandibular repositioning device - A mandibular repositioning device (MRA) is a kind of sleep apnea brace that you hold in your mouth at night to keep your airways open.
5. Sleep apnea surgery- If a mask or MRA does not work, then operating is an option. A sleep apnea operation is mainly used for problems with nasal sinuses, tonsils or nasal septum.

The above 10 causes of snoring are most common. Snoring can, however, also be caused by: an abnormally large tongue, sinusitis (cavity inflammation), allergies (with regard to pollen / pollen, dust, fungi , yeasts , pet skin flakes , house dust mite excrement ,  food spores , etc.), flu & cold or a slanted nasal septum.

General tips for snoring

As you could read above, not all causes of snoring can be treated equally well. It is therefore not always possible to completely stop snoring. Yet there are a number of general tips & measures that you can implement to treat and reduce snoring ...

Nasal sprays with xylometazoline (including Otrivin®, Nasivin®, Afrin® or Vicks Sinex®) can only be used for colds. Homeopathic nasal spray (eg A. Vogel Cinuforce®, VSM Nisyspray® Kruidvat house brand or Risikind® VSM), however, you can always use and works fine for snoring. In addition, there are all kinds of other means and measures against snoring, including:

1. Anti snore sprays - Would dilate your nostrils so that you stop snoring.
2. Anti snoring cushions - Would improve your sleeping position and stop snoring.
3. Anti snoring oil - Would you strengthen your uvula to treat snoring.
4. Keeping the nose clean - The cleaner your nose, the wider the passage to your nasal cavity and the less you snore. In short: gently blowing, collecting and cleaning.
5. Keeping your throat clean - the cleaner your throat, the wider the pharynx and the less you snore. In short: brushing, flossing, gargling and carefully scraping your throat.
6. Wet the nostrils- Some people do not really snore, but squeaks or tuten. Your nose squeaks or snorts especially if your nostrils are very dry. It can therefore help to wet your nose on the inside with a wet cotton swab.

Means & medicines for snoring

In addition, there are countless producers who promise that they have found the perfect solution against snoring. Healthly, however, has strong doubts about the effect of some of these drugs against snoring. Hereby the best known "brand solutions" to stop snoring & snoring treatment:

1. SnörEx® – Bitje dat zou worden aanbevolen door KNO-artsen om te stoppen met snurken.
3. Snoozer® – Hoofd- & kaakband met een “wetenschappelijk bewezen” werking.
3. SnorBan® – Een “medisch bewezen” onderkaakbeugel om te stoppen met snurken.
4. Snoreeze® – Strips & sprays met “micro-ingekapselde oliën” ter behandeling van snurken.
5. Snurdim® – Anti snurk tabletten die op een “vriendelijke manier” zouden helpen.
6. Breath Right® – Neuspleisters c.q. neusstrips die je luchtwegen openen.

Anti snurk operatie (somnoplastiek)

Als bovenstaande tips, adviezen en middeltjes allemaal niet werkent, dan kun je altijd nog een snurk-operatie ofwel somnoplastiek overwegen. Somnoplastiek betreft een kleine operatieve ingreep waarbij de huig en het verhemelte worden verwond. Hierdoor ontstaat littekenvorming, waardoor het weefsel steviger, strakker en dunner wordt. Somnoplastiek helpt in bijna 100% van de (ernstige) snurk-gevallen om te stoppen met snurken.

Tot slot

By far the most remedies do not or hardly help to stop snoring. They mute the sound a bit or reduce the number of vibrations somewhat, but are not effective enough to serve as a serious solution or treatment against snoring. Conclusion: sleep in a comfortable bed with a comfortable pillow, never sleep on your stomach and use a homeopathic nasal spray regularly!

Do you have experience with snoring? Do you snore or do you suffer from someone else's snoring? Would you like to stop snoring & treat your snoring? Or do you have general questions or comments about sleep apnea syndrome? Please leave your comment below!