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Snoring can be described as a noisy sound which occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. As you are asleep, the air passage contracts and the throat muscles relaxes making it difficult for you to breathe.This area is the collapsible part of the airway where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing. You may suffer from snoring if you have poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat.By this i mean,When muscles are too relaxed,the tongue falls backwards into the airway or the throat muscles draw in from the sides into the airway.This happens during deep sleep.Children with large tonsils and adenoids often snore because of excessive bulkiness of the throat tissue. Long soft palate and/or uvula narrows the opening from the nose into the throat as it dangles and therefore causing a noisy flutter valve during relaxed breathing.A stuffy or blocked nose requires extra effort to pull air through it.This creates a vacuum in the throat, and pulls together the floppy tissues of the throat, and snoring results. Socially snoring can be termed as Serious when it makes the snorer the subject of ridicule and causes others sleepless nights and resentfulness.Medically It disturbs sleeping patterns and deprives the snorer of appropriate rest.If snoring is severe it can cause serious,long-term health problems, including obstructive sleep apnea. Treatment depends on the diagnosis. An examination will reveal if the snoring is caused by nasal allergy, infection, deformity, or tonsils and adenoids.Snoring may respond to various treatments now offered by many otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon.Genioglossus and hyod advancement is a surgical procedure that prevents collapse of the lower throat and pulls the tongue muscles forward, thereby opening the obstructed airway.We have (UPPP) Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for tightening flabby tissues in the throat and palate, and expands air passages.Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty or (TAP)are procedures or techniques of different types which include bipolar cautery, laser, and radiofrequency.This is just to mention a few. If you suffer from mild or occasional snoring try taking in a little bit of honey before sleeping.Establish regular sleeping patterns,tilt the head of your bed upwards four inches.Avoid tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines before bedtime.Stop smoking because it is a known contributor to the increased likelihood of snoring. Smoke creates mucous in the throat that will reduce airflow and bring on the higher possibility. Irritation in the throat caused by smoking is also a known factor in snoring.Making changes to your lifestyle and diet are not simple things to accomplish and require discipline and the desire for meaningful change. Wangeci Kinyanjui has been researching and reporting on Health Matters for years. For more information on Snoring visit her site at SNORING
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