Lifestyle News
The bane of many marriages: Snoring, and what can be done about it
By April MacIntyre Jan 18, 2009, 18:53 GMT
Courtesy of momlogic.com
Short of smothering your partner as he/she sleeps, the issue of snoring can derail a happy union, and cause a sleep-deprived spouse to consider evil thoughts to rectify the problem.
So what can be done?
One weary mom and a sleep and snoring expert weighed in with momlogic.com and provided some insight.
The website hosted a guest blogger "Samantha", a self-described "victim of snoring" who wondered what legal and humane ways were available to get her husband to stop.
She writes: "Sometimes, the sound is so intense and jarring, I kick my husband (hard!) to get him to stop. Most nights, I have no choice but to seek refuge in the spare bedroom or on the couch. In the morning, both of us are pissed: I have slept poorly on the couch (and feel awful for kicking my husband), and my husband is angry. Not only did I kick him, I'm not sleeping with him!"
According to Dr. Michael Breus, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and Board Certified in Clinical Sleep Disorders, to minimize snoring. Dr. Breus, (who diagnosed Rosie O'Donnell with sleep apnea on "The View") told momlogic that there is a tremendous amount of emotional turmoil that comes from sleeping next to a snoring bed partner.
"There is significant data that now suggests that if you sleep next to someone that snores, you lose between one and three hours of sleep yourself." Dr. Breus suggests that you educate the person who is snoring.
"A lot of times the person who is snoring thinks it's their partner's problem -- they need to deal with it. But in fact, it's the snorer's problem to fix."
Dr. Breus says snoring can actually lead to ill health affects.
New studies have even shown that high blood pressure is a result of snoring.
Suggestions to minimize or eliminate snoring:
1) WEIGHT: When men gain weight, they actually deposit fat in their throats. And when people lose weight, even a small amount, the decibel level (in the throat) decreases.
If you (or your partner) can lose between 5 and 8 lbs., you can expect to see a significant reduction in snoring.
2) SMOKING: It inflames the nasal tissue -- just like congestion. QUIT.
3) ALLERGIES: Someone with an allergy to smoke, mold, pets , allergens in a pillow (such as down) or certain laundry detergents, can be prone to snoring.
4) STRUCTURAL DAMAGE: People with structural damage have what's known as a deviated septum -- it narrows the airway, making air go faster.
The faster the air moves, the more it will vibrate tissue in the back of your throat -- that vibration causes a cadence, which creates a snore.
There are particular surgeries that can help decrease the narrowing of the nasal cavities; one is called a septoplasty. There are also other surgeries now that can take whatever tissue is vibrating and firm it up.
5) ALCOHOL: Alcohol can make snoring worse -- because it is a muscle relaxant, and as the muscles relax, the passage gets narrower. However, there's really no data that says heavy or spicy foods makes snoring worse.
Other than surgery, what can a snorer do to minimize snoring?
Many people use a nasal decongestant spray before going to sleep, which can help. Also a product like Netty Pot, which is a saline flush, can reduce congestion and snoring.
There is also the CPAP machine (available by prescription only) which is used for someone with sleep apnea. Warning: It will put the kibosh on your sex life, and make your partner look like he/she is deep water diving.
Sleep apnea is a very serious potentially fatal condition and usually the snorer can't determine if they have it on their own. Not only do you snore, but you close your throat and stop breathing. If you think you or your partner has this, you should seek medical help.
And what about Breathe Right strips?
Breathe Right strips only work for select group of people. They are really designed for people with narrow nasal passages. There are pros and cons with the strips as well .... everything from falling off in middle of the night or allergies to the adhesive. They also really need to be put in the right spot to work (towards the tip of the nose and not at the top at the bridge).
Is there something I can do to cope with the snoring?
You can roll the offender over to their side. It opens up their airway and gravity is no longer a force.
If you get noise plugs, you can get noise level rated NLR 32 or below, which would allow you to still hear a smoke alarm or a baby crying. You could also use noise cancellation headphones. Or you can use a sound machine.
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DropYourAllergiesJan 19th, 2009 - 16:22:53
Save Your Marrage
Lose your Allergies
Strengthen Your Immune System
Say NO to a Lifetime of Allergy MED's which Only Mask Symptoms >
While Your ALLERGY disease Only Gets WORSE !
ALLERGY is Directly / InDirectly Implicated in the following Disease Conditions:
SKIN: Eczema / Rash / Dermatitis / Urticaria / Acne / Psoriasis / Alopecia / Warts / Leucoderma
RESPIRATORY: Allergic ASTHMA / Bronchial ASTHMA / Chronic Cough / Chronic Cold / Allergic Rhinitis / Sinusitis / Sinus Infections / Conjunctivitis / Tonsillitis / Wheezing / Snoring / Sleep Apnea
DIGESTIVE:: Leaky Gut / Irritable Bowel / Acid Reflux / Weight Gain / Stomatitis / Heart Burn / Peptic Ulcers / Constipation / Diarrhea / Flatulence.
PSYCHOLOGICAL: Depression / Chronic Fatigue / Autism / ADHD / HeadAches / Immune system Weakness
Musculo-SKELETAL: Rheumatoid Arthritis / Myalgia / Sciatica / Spondylosis / Cramps
ALLERGIES Weaken Immune System & Steal Capacity to Fight What Really Matters !
IT goes without saying that it is Very Important to Keep Your Immune System at PEAK Performance.
Many of us Try our Best to Eat Properly, take Supplements, Exercise Regularly, Get the right amount of Sleep and perhaps practice Stress Relief Techniques such as Yoga, Prayer or Meditation.
Unfortunately, Today’s Fast Paced, High Stress World often Chips Away at our best Efforts often leaving our Immune System in Less than a Peak Performance State of Affair.
One often overlooked aspect of Immune System Health relates to our ALLERGIES and how they compromise the overall Health of our ( and our Children’s ) Immune System.
Try as we might to Control their nagging and draining Symptoms by taking multiple Medications, those pesky ALLERGIES just keep right on coming and coming… They just Do NOT Go Away !
While in the past, ALLERGIES have barely been a Blip on the Medical Radar Screen, regarded as a nuisance, only to be tolerated and controlled by taking Medications… …
Today… More and More….
ALLERGIES and the multiple Diseases that they instigate over the course of a LifeTime are being recognized for the True Enemy to an Individuals Immune System / Health that they ARE !
Beginning in the Womb and manifesting itself immediately after Birth ( 1 in 3 Infants ), Allergies account for more office visits to Pediatricians than any other ailment, besides the common Cold ( Q&A: When is a Cold NOT a Cold ? When it’s Allergies. ).
Allergies are responsible for more missed school days than any other medical problem. It is thought that at least one out of every four children has an allergy of some kind. Allergies are often Inherited. Lending credence to the old saying That the Child Allergy Apple Does Not Fall Far from the Parent Allergy Tree. Statistics show that a child with one allergic parent has a 45-50% chance of developing allergies, and the likelihood rises to between 65-70% if both parents have allergies. Remarkably, even if both parents are allergy-free, offspring will still run an allergy risk of 10-15%.
For far to long, ALLERGIES have been regarded as merely a Nuisance, Ignored or “Treated” with Medications which Only mask Symptoms and Do Nothing to Derail / Neutralize the Progression of a Sufferer’s Allergy Disease Source.
While Allergy rarely Kills ( unless you count Allergic Asthma Attack Deaths ), as UnTreated / UnNeutralized Allergy Progresses thru it’s various Disease States, it compromises not only a Sufferers LifeTime of Health, but every aspect of their Personal, Family, Academic, Social, Exercise and Professional Quality of Life.
It is IMPORTANT to Remember that…
24 / 7/ 365 / ALLERGY is a LifeTime > Cumulative, Progressive Chronic AutoImmune Disease.
UnTreated ALLERGY Continues / Exacerbates…
Leading to Unabated Disease Progression…
And a LifeTime, Slippery Slope of further multiple Diseases, Health Complications, Weakened Immune System
and severely Compromised Quality of Health.
Thus Said….
Your Immune System Only has a certain amount of “ Capacity “ to Fight ALL the Diseases, Foreign Invaders, Bacteria, Germs, Viruses that it encounters EveryDay …
As such, it is IMPORTANT that Your Immune System is NOT “ Distracted “ OR some of it’s limited Disease Fighting “ Capacity “ Consumed to Fight Harmless things like Grass / Tree / Weed Pollens, Insect, Dust Mite, Mold Allergens etc > Namely ALLERGIES.
What many Allergy / Allergic Asthma Sufferers Do Not Know……
Is that they CAN Free Up that amount of Immune System Capacity which has been designated to Fight 24 / 7 / 365 / A LifeTime their Allergy Disease….
And it All starts with a visit to their Trusted, Personal Primary Care Physician.
>> A simple painless Blood ALLERGY Test for the most common Seasonal & Year-round Allergens specific to YOUR Geo-Region will tell YOU and Your Physician WHAT You Are Allergic TO !
>> Once your Offending Allergens are Identified, Your Physician will prescribe DRUG Free, Under-the-Tongue ImmunoTherapy DROPs.
>> Following the SAME Medically prepared, ImmunoTherapy Principals used for traditional Allergy SHOTs, Your DROPs contain small traces of pure FDA Approved Extracts of Your offending Allergen Sources i.e. RagWeed, Mite, Cat, Cockroach etc.
Your DROPs are Custom Formulated specifically to WHAT You Are Allergic TO Based on YOUR Allergy Test Result !
Slowly over Time, Your Allergy Drop Allergen Extract Concentrations are increased, allowing Your Bodies Immune System to rely on its inherent Recuperative Abilities and Recalibrate Itself.
Thereby… No Longer See’ing Harmless Allergens as Harmful, Neutralizing Your Allergies at the Disease Source, No longer Triggering Allergy Symptoms, Eradicating Allergy Complications and………… Producing Lasting, if Not LifeTime Benefits !
Allergy ImmunoTherapy is the only proven Clinical Form of Therapy that:
>> Reduces / Eliminates the need for Allergy Medications
>> Reverses / Stops the Allergy Disease Process at the Source.
>> DeRailing the LifeTime, Slippery Slope / Progression of Diseases CAUSED by Allergy
>> AND…. Freeing UP YOUR Immune System’s Capacity to Fight What Really Counts !
Effortless to use in Today’s Fast Paced 24 / 7 Society and Costing less than a Coffee Shop visit a Day, painful Allergy Shots have been replaced with Patient FRIENDLY, Under-the-Tongue, SubLingual Allergy DROPS which are absorbed into the Patient’s System within seconds each Morning and Night.
“ If there was ever an Example of the Adage: An Ounce of Daily Prevention Vs a Pound of LifeTime Misery and UnEnding Efforts to Cure… it is Allergy Immuno-Therapy DROPs… It’s a LifeTime Health No Brainer.
Speak with Your Primary Care PHYSICIAN Today and tell him / her that you want to….
Visit Your Primary Dr. and tell him / her that You Want to > Drop Your Allergies !
Remember… ALLERGIES Are Nothing to SNEEZE AT !
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