Anti Snoring Devices

Anti-snoring devices can reduce frequent or loud snoring, thereby improving sleep, increasing productivity, and decreasing the risk of negative health effects.

Anti-snoring devices improve sleep for you and your partner.

Snoring affects an estimated 90 million Americans, according the National Sleep Foundation. Of those, nearly half snore on a regular basis, resulting in un-refreshing, fragmented sleep and daytime sleepiness.

Snoring occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep, causing the tongue to fall backward. This narrows your throat and causes the walls of your throat to vibrate as you breathe in and out.

Doctors typically recommend lifestyle changes, such as avoiding alcohol, side-sleeping, and losing weight before trying other anti-snoring methods. In many cases, lifestyle changes effectively reduce the frequency and severity of snoring. When lifestyle changes are not sufficient, the use of anti-snoring devices is an effective alternative to surgery for many people.

A variety of factors increases the risk of snoring.

• Alcohol consumption before bedtime relaxes the throat muscles and impairs your body's ability to recognize and prevent airway obstruction.
• A low, thick palate or enlarged adenoids or tonsils can obstruct airflow and increase snoring. Obesity increases this risk.
• Nasal problems, such as chronic congestion, allergies, a deviated septum, or nasal polyps, may all cause snoring.
• Sleep apnea, which is potentially fatal, is a common cause of severe and persistent snoring. During sleep apnea episodes, throat tissues obstruct the airway, preventing breathing and causing a build-up of carbon dioxide. Lack of oxygen signals the body to wake up, which results in gasping for air. Snoring associated with sleep apnea usually occurs in cycles, with periods of silence and breathing cessation following periods of loud snoring.

When underlying medical disorders cause snoring, treatment focuses on the underlying condition.

Untreated, frequent snoring can result in sleep deprivation for every member of your household. Snoring may also lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, headaches, muscle aches, weight loss or gain, lack of productivity, irritability, anxiety, depression, and numerous other health conditions.

Untreated sleep apnea increases the risk of serious and potentially fatal health conditions, including stroke, cardiovascular disease and heart attack, and high blood pressure. Obstructive sleep apnea in children may increase the risk of developing attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.

A variety of anti-snoring devices is available, both over-the-counter and by prescription. Before selecting a device, you must consider the cause and severity of your snoring and your overall health.

Dental appliances effectively treat most cases of snoring resulting from jaw or mouth abnormalities. They work by bringing the lower jaw forward and preventing the collapse of soft tissues, allowing the airway to remain unobstructed throughout sleep.

Some dental devices are similar to athletic mouth guards, while others fit around the chin and head to alter jaw position. A dentist must fit dental devices and then evaluate them every 6 to 12 months to ensure proper fit. Dental appliances improve snoring by as much as 90 percent when properly fitted.

CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, machines improve snoring by blowing pressurized air through a hose and mask to keep the airways open. When snoring is a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea, CPAP machines are the most effective non-surgical treatment available.

Use of a CPAP machine involves wearing a mask during sleep. The mask may cover the entire face or only the nose. Side effects associated with CPAP use include nasal congestion, dry mouth, skin irritation, and sore throat.

Many over-the-counter anti-snoring devices, such as special pillows and nasal strips, offer little to no help for those with moderate to severe snoring. However, when snoring is mild and infrequent, these products can greatly improve sleep.

Nasal strips are available in most pharmacies, and work by widening the nostrils to improve breathing. Pillows are available to prevent back sleeping or to raise the head to prevent airway obstruction.

Snoring can be more than a nuisance. In some cases, frequent or loud snoring may indicate an underlying medical condition that requires treatment. Throat and nose problems, such as enlarged tonsils or adenoids, and obesity, nasal polyps, and allergies may all cause or contribute to snoring. Treatment of these underlying conditions can cure snoring in some people.

Before recommending anti-snoring devices or developing a treatment plan, your doctor will perform a medical examination and ask you and your partner questions about the frequency and severity of your snoring. He may order blood work to check for other conditions that are contributing to your snoring, and he may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist for further evaluation. If the cause of your snoring is not identified, you may need to spend a night in a sleep clinic under observation.

There are many anti-snoring devices on the market that claim to instantly stop snoring and improve sleep. Unfortunately, not all of them are effective, and some may even be harmful. Speak with your doctor about the best anti-snoring devices for your particular case.

Persistent snoring always requires medical evaluation to rule out serious health issues.

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