Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: There is Hope

Stop Your Snoring For A Better Night's Rest

If you wake up frequently during the night because of your loud snoring, you're not getting the quality of sleep that your body needs. The constant interruption of your sleep cycle can result in irritability and fatigue throughout your day. There are several ways to treat the snoring, depending on the particular cause. Here are some of the common ways that you can get a more peaceful and fulfilling night's sleep.

Why You Snore

The snoring is caused by some part of your anatomy in the airway vibrating as your body attempts to get enough oxygen into it while you sleep. The harder your body struggles to get air, the louder the vibration will be. There are several places where the vibration, and the snoring sound, can be produced:

• the tissue in the roof of your mouth, called the soft palate, can vibrate if it becomes thicker and sits out into your airway
• the oval tissue hanging down in the back of your throat, or uvula, vibrates against the sides your throat
• tissues in the nose and throat become inflamed because of an allergy or cold
• cartilage in your nose constricts the passageways through your nose

Getting Rid of the Snoring Sound

Visit a doctor and get a diagnosis as to what is causing your particular case of snoring. Depending on the cause, the doctor will recommend one or more of the following treatments:

Adhesive Strips - These attach to the outside of your nose and hold your nostrils open slightly. If your problem is a constricted nasal passageway, the strips can open it up more to allow air to get in easier, reducing the vibration. These strips won't help if the problem is further down the air passageway than your nose.

Medication - Antihistamines and nasal spray can reduce inflammation in the tissues along the passageway. Medication is helpful when your snoring is temporary, such as when you have a cold. It also is useful should you have a low-grade allergy to something in your environment which causes the tissues to become inflamed at night while you're sleeping.

Oral Appliances - These are plastic devices that you keep in your mouth while sleeping. They hold your mouth open slightly and press the soft palate against the roof of your mouth to prevent it from vibrating.

Surgery - Your doctor will try some of the non-invasive approaches first to get you some relief from the snoring. When these fail, several surgical options are available, such as:

• Uvulectomy - This is the removal of the uvula which hangs down into your throat.
• Rhinoplasty - The cartilage in your nose is reconstructed to open up the nasal passageways.
• Palate Resection - The part of the soft palate that is hanging out in your throat and vibrating is removed.