The Pros And Cons of the Different Snoring Solutions on the Market
Snoring - aggravating factors
When you delve deep into snoring causes some startling facts come to light.. But it is good to know the causes of snoring before you start looking for solutions.
- Smoking
This habit is identified as one of the primary ones when you look for snoring causes as it is known to reduce muscle tone around the throat and the tongue. Often it leads to congestion which can also aggravate the snoring. Quiting smoking will bring some relief from snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea.
- Pregnancy and obesity
Pregnant women may begin snoring and experiencing OSA episodes as their pregnancy progresses. Obese people have the same problems - and for the same reasons. Fatty deposits accumulate around the throat area and restrict the flow of air through to the lungs. This is a concern because if the baby is not getting a good oxygen supply due to the mother having OSA episodes the baby's development could be impaired.
- Alcohol
People who consume a lot of alcohol need to look no further to know the snoring causes as the alcohol causes the muscles around the throat and the tongue to relax more than they would without the alcohol present. . While your muscles start to relax when you snore, the throat also goes into a relaxing mode and the airways become blocked. If you need to force the air to pass through to the lungs, it can lead to snoring.
- Position of sleep
When you lie on your back while sleeping, the effect of gravity leads to the tongue drifting back towards the back of the throat which results in the airway becoming partially or completely blocked.
- Anatomy of mouth
If you have a soft palate which is thick it often narrows the airways which eventually lead to snoring when the tongue, as it relaxes, moves too close to the palate.
- Obstructive sleep apnea
This is a serious, indeed life threatening, condition. The snoring, which is due to partial blocking of the airway, becomes so bad that the airway blocks completely and breathing stops all together. When otherwise healthy people die in their sleep it is usually a result of OSA.
Using snoring devices
People with snoring as a chronic problem are advised to look for snoring devices or aids that can help. However, you need to find out the pros and cons of these devices before purchasing. Some work very well, some don't work at all. Those that do work can often have "side effects" that make their use unbearable for many. It is fair to say that the snoring/OSA aid that works for and suits everybody hasn't been developed yet, and never will be.
- Options for the control of snoring
Discounting the silly "solutions" that obviously don't work, we are left with three main groups - surgery, cpap and mouthpieces.
Surgery is a bit of a lottery - around 50% of patients get no improvement at all, a significant number find the snoring/OSA is worse after the surgery, it is very expensive, and, whatever the outcome, there are NO refunds.
CPAP does work but it is also expensive and around 50% of users find they cannot tolerate it in the long term.
Mouthpieces vary hugely in cost, effectiveness and comfort. Mandibular advancement devices are known to be harmful in the longer term. Devices which effectively and comfortably control the tongue have a very high acceptance level - less than 2% of purchasers find it unsuitable. And if they have chosen the right solution which offers a money back guarantee, that tiny percentage will get a full refund.