Over 40% of men and 24 % of women snore or have snored at some point in their lives. Therefore, do not worry if you realize or have been told by your partner or housemate that you have the habitual occurrence. Help is readily available. Alexis Furze, MD, an ear, nose, and throat expert, has helped many snoring patients get quality sleep through innovative treatments and procedures and can help you. Additionally, there are several ways you can remedy your condition, have a night of quality sleep, and avoid nuisance to your partner or housemate. Do the following to minimize your symptoms.
Elevate Your Head
There are diverse ways you can raise your head while you sleep to take pressure away from your airways. You can back the head of your bed or lift your mattress to keep your upper body elevated while you sleep. Although you can also add a pillow to elevate your head, be careful not to rely on this alone as it can make you tilt far forward only to make your condition worse. You can slide a foam wedge below your mattress when you lie down.
Get on Your Side
How you sleep can affect your snoring. Reclining on your side will aid you in breathing better by opening your throat, minimizing your chances of snoring. Note that if you mostly lie on your back, it could be one of the reasons you are snoring as your tongue can block the airway causing breathing complications. Try to turn on your side as you sleep and learn how to maintain that position throughout the night.
Do Some Oral Exercises
Doing some tongue and mouth exercises can help you tighten your throat muscles and reduce your snoring symptoms. Please consult your doctor on the right exercises for you and try them whenever you are free, about three times. Let every session be about 10 minutes for better results. If you try mouth stretches, tongue push ups, or tongue slides, you should notice some improvements after a few months.
Treat Underlying Complications
Snoring can hint at underlying medical complications and will only go away if the issue is addressed. See your doctor for a diagnosis to understand why you are snoring and get the right remedies for your condition. You are more likely to snore if your nasal passage is blocked, and that is why you have to manage any nasal congestion first.
Use Nasal Strips
You can put on nasal strips to help you reduce snoring. It is simple as you only take a nasal strip, press it down on your nose, and open your nostrils to make breathing easier. The strip will pull out the sides of your nose to widen your nasal passage minimizing any congestion that could be causing you to snore. It would help if you left the strip over the night for better results.
Do Not Take Alcohol or Sedatives
Please avoid drinking alcohol and taking sedatives before bed to minimize your snoring. They relax your muscles leading to the closure of your airways, increasing your chances of snoring. Although you might not have to quit drinking completely, ensure you moderate it to stay healthy. You can have your drink about 4-5 hours before going to bed and take your sedatives as well.
Dr. Furze can help you if you snore at night. You only need a diagnosis to understand why it is happening and learn the best remedy to manage it. Wait no more to reduce your snoring. Reach out to Dr. Furze for help.