Stertor in medical parlance, snoring occurs when the natural path of inspired air is obstructed by a relaxed soft palate and uvula during sleep. More stertorous sound has been likened to the noise made when sawing logs, but this can be milder in some. Snoring affects at least 30% of the population.
The narrowing of the airway during sleeping periods causes the stertor. Several factors have pegged as contributory to this narrowing. Stetor is particularly common among males and those of senile age because these cohorts tend to have narrower airways than others. Other factors include body alignment during sleep, local inflammatory or infectious processes, obesity, and certain drugs.
Most people dismiss snoring as harmless. This is a misconception as stertor or snoring can lead to potentially deadly complications. Snorers may also concomitantly suffer from sleep apnea. The oxygen supply in the body is compromised when the airway is obstructed. To rectify the imbalance the brain attempts to kickstart breathing by waking the person up intermittently in the night, causing the individual to feel fatigued or wake up to a throbbing headache. Their partners are usually the first to notice the cyclical snore then snort or choke pattern. If not managed, sleep apnea can lead to cerebral hypoxia or brain injury due to low level of oxygen or worse, to death.
The kind of snoring cure that you can use is contingent upon the cause of the stertor. For example, losing some weight will also reduce the fatty tissue that narrows the airway. In the same manner, clearing nasal passages as well as quitting alcohol and cigarette smoking will decrease the severity of stertor. This might be easier said than done, but one must learn how to control himself and never over exaggerate when indulging in the above pleasures.. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.
There are also snoring cures which can be bought from the market. Anti snoring mouthpieces are among the most popular instruments. These appliances bring your lower jaw or your tongue forward in order to maintain an open airway even during sleep. One major criticism of anti snoring mouthpieces though is that if not properly fitted it can cause more problems than good. Another snoring cure is the snoring pillow. The anti snoring pillow prevents its users form lying on their back which causes the tongue to fall backward into the throat obstructing the airway.
Snoring not only affects the individual but those around him as well. While it can be life-threatening, the complications are prevented or mitigated with prompt management.
