Snoring or snoring can be experienced by anyone. This condition is generally not dangerous if it occurs occasionally, for example when a person feels very tired.
However, frequent complaints of snoring need to be watched out for. Not only can it disturb your sleep or those around you, frequent snoring during sleep can be a symptom of certain medical conditions that cannot be underestimated.
Various Causes of Snoring
As you drift off to sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth, tongue, and throat weaken, partially blocking your airways. Obstruction of the respiratory tract will cause vibrations and cause snoring. The narrower the respiratory tract, the stronger the snoring sound that appears.
In addition, a person is also more at risk of experiencing frequent snoring if he has certain conditions or diseases, such as:
- Sleep apnea or sleep apnea
- Clogged respiratory tract due to allergies or enlarged tonsils
- Swelling and inflammation in the sinus cavities (sinusitis)
- Overweight or obese
- Deformities of the face and nose, for example septal deviation
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking
- Mumps
- Pregnancy
Some Ways to Overcome Snoring
If you often snore while sleeping and feel disturbed by it, there are several ways to deal with snoring that you can try, including:
1. Changing sleeping position
You are advised to sleep with your body tilted to the right or left. This is because sleeping on your back can cause the base of the tongue to lean more towards the back of the throat, thus blocking the airflow in the throat and causing snoring.
Thus, to stop snoring, change your sleeping position to your side so that air can move freely through your throat.
2. Adequate rest time
Fatigue or lack of sleep can make a person snore more often. Therefore, you need to get enough rest to prevent and overcome snoring complaints. The recommended sleep time is around 7–8 hours each night.
3. Maintain ideal body weight
Maintaining an ideal body weight can prevent thickening of the throat tissue and narrowing of the throat passages. Therefore, try to maintain your ideal body weight by exercising regularly and following a healthy diet.
4. Maintain cleanliness of bed and room
The nose and throat can experience swelling due to allergies, for example allergies to dust or cigarette smoke. This condition can make you snore more often.
Therefore, try to stay away from these allergens by keeping your room and bed clean. If necessary, you can try to maintain the air quality in your bedroom by using a humidifier.
However, if complaints of snoring due to allergies often appear or recur, you should consult a doctor so that the doctor can provide the right treatment.
5. Cleaning yourself or bathing with warm water
If snoring is caused by sinusitis, try taking a warm shower before going to bed. This can open the respiratory tract thereby reducing snoring.
Apart from taking a warm bath, you can also try inhaling warm steam for a few minutes before going to bed to relieve snoring complaints.
6. Adequate intake of body fluids
Lack of fluids can cause mucus in the nose to become more sticky. Sometimes, not drinking enough water can make it easier for you to snore while sleeping. To fix this, try to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
7. Stop smoking
Irritation from cigarette smoke can cause narrowing of the respiratory tract and inflammation of the throat, which can trigger snoring in your sleep. The habit of consuming alcoholic beverages also makes the tongue and throat muscles weak, causing snoring.
8. Using nasal strips
You can try using over-the-counter nasal strips to deal with frequent snoring. This tool is shaped like a plaster that is used by sticking it on the bridge of the nose.
Nasal strips are useful for making the airways more open, so that airflow in the nose and throat can be smoother when you fall asleep.
Snoring can reduce the quality of your sleep and make you often sleepy when on the move. In order for these complaints to be resolved, you can try a number of ways to deal with snoring that have been mentioned above.
However, you need to be vigilant if complaints of snoring still appear or recur frequently even though you have tried a number of these methods. If your snoring habit doesn't decrease or disappear after doing some of the methods above, immediately consult a doctor.
Thus, the doctor can do an examination and determine the cause of your snoring so that this condition can be treated appropriately. To deal with complaints of snoring, the doctor may give medicines, recommend that you use assistive devices such as CPAP, or perform surgery.
