Snoring Treatment Columbia SC

Loud, persistent snoring is a sign that your airways are blocked, preventing normal breathing. For some, this may be a warning of a serious medical condition. But for many people, snoring is simply a noisy nuisance. If you (or someone who sleeps close to you) suffer from occasional or mild snoring, these home remedies should help ensure a better night's sleep.

Most products sold over the counter to eliminate or diminish snoring are a waste of money. Nasal strips, lubricating mouth sprays and specially shaped "no snore" pillows simply don't work, according to testing done by the U.S. Air Force Medical Center in San Antonio. What might help, are some adjustments to your bedding and a few lifestyle changes.

• Wedge something under your mattress to raise your head, neck and shoulders about four inches. Or use piles of regular pillows or wedges to hold you in an inclined sleeping position that supports your spine but at the same time diminish snoring. The principle is simple: Sleeping in a more upright position reduces the effects of gravity on the respiratory system to ease sleep-related breathing problems.

• Sleep on your side, rather than on your back.  Snoring occurs when people sleep flat on their backs. It may help to lean against a body-length pillow so that you don't roll over flat on your back during the night.

• Wait at least four hours after drinking alcohol before going to bed. Alcoholic beverages relax the muscles in your airway, which can block breathing while you sleep. After several hours, some of the alcohol you consumed will have been eliminated from your body.

• Lose weight, if necessary, and maintain a healthy weight and good muscle tone by exercising almost every day. Getting fit helps reduce fat deposits in your throat that contribute to airway blockage.

• Try to sleep naturally by establishing regular sleep patterns rather than depending on sleeping pills or tranquilizers. Like alcohol, these and other medications relax you and your airway muscles.

According to the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, acupuncture that targets the immune system can help resolve snoring due to swollen nasal passages in people with sinusitis. A sinus wash, also called nasal irrigation, with a saline solution or spray, is also recommended to reduce inflammation that leads to snoring.

If natural methods don't eliminate or reduce snoring, speak to your physician. Loud, irregular and chronic snoring may be a sign of a potentia...