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Stop Snoring--Why Snoring Is a Risk to Your Overall Health Related Links: My Child Is Snoring -Causes and Remedies Cat Snoring -Causes and Remedies Stop Snoring-All the Tips That Work Links Page-Snoring Directories,Treatment Resources,Tutorial Videos Snoring Linked to Stroke "My Husband Died of A Stroke"--a personal story Poor Sleep Makes You Gain Weight Do Humidifiers Help You Sleep?-The Debate Rages On Why Do Dogs Snore--Tips That Work last updated November 26, 2008, (May 29, 2009) By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist at collectivewizdom.com (parts of this article orginally on collectivewizdom. com and are reprinted here with permission) Snoring is one of the most important health crises in the world today. Why do we call it a crisis? Isn't snoring just an inconvenience? An annoyance to our husbands, wives and bed partners but surely nothing more than that? Snoring, it turns out, is one of the single best indicators of your risk for suffering a life-changing illness. Why? Snoring problems are a threat to your overall health because
We have scoured research reports and published studies to amass the most credible natural remedies to stop snoring and snoring treatments and aids. Some of these have been used as snoring cures for centuries. Others have just come to light recently. If you are not a snorer but your husband snores, your wife snores or you sleep with or near someone who is a snorer, please do everything you can to help them stop. You may be helping them to avoid a life-altering stroke. You can also use these remedies to prevent snoring. We will update this information as newer methods are discovered and proved effective. Sleep on Your Side. Studies of snorers have shown that most snorers sleep on their backs. Sleeping on your side can help reduce snoring. But how do you avoid sleeping on your back? Try putting an object such as a pillow or a tennis ball in a sock pinned to your shirt behind your back. When you roll over on your back, you will become uncomfortable, forcing you to turn over. After a while, you will find that you sleep less and less on your back. Raise Your Head. Adding height will open the throat more, reducing snoring. Use an extra pillow or a thicker one. Reduce the Amount of Milk You Drink. Milk causes snoring or increases snoring in many people. Dairy products are believed to increase the mucous in your throat and nasal passages in people who are allergic to milk. While some sources debate milk's role in producing mucous, according to a report published by the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology Committee on Adverse Reactions to Food (part of the National Institutes of Health), the allergies of up to one third of children tested cleared after milk was removed from their diet. No less an authority than Dr. Benjamin Spock, author of the most-quoted book on childcare, Baby and Child Care, wrote in 1998, "Cow’s milk is not recommended for a child when he is sick—or when he is well, for that matter. Dairy products may cause more mucus complications and cause more discomfort with upper respiratory infections." In their book Allergies to Milk, Drs. Sami L. Bahna and Douglas C. Heiner report that children who are allergic to milk "may have breathing difficulty, particularly during sleep, or an irritating cough associated with a postnasal drip. … The cough is frequently associated with noisy breathing and excessive mucus in the throat, and sometimes parents worry that their child is ‘gagging.’ … Such affected children are frequently diagnosed as having upper respiratory infection, viral illness, bronchitis, … or pneumonia. Accordingly, they may be given unnecessary medications, including cough syrups, decongestants, or antibiotics. Relief, however, is not satisfactory until cow’s milk is eliminated from the diet." So, while the debate about milk and its role in producing congestion rages on, it's better to be safe than sorry. Eliminating milk may decrease congestion and therefore snoring. Night time congestion is not only a leading cause of snoring but also, it may surprise you, is the principal cause of dark circles under the eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic. Check Your Tonsils. Another common cause of snoring in children are enlarged tonsils. This is especially true for children under the age of 3. However, there are other causes that are equally as important and need treatment. If your child has any period of apnea (periods of not breathing), this can be serious. Do not let any pediatrician tell you otherwise. Please see another doctor, or asked to be referred to an otolaryngologist (an ENT). Lose Weight. You need clear airways to breathe. A heavy chest or heavy throat will close more of your air space, causing snoring. Don't drink alcoholic beverages, take sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or antihistamines right before going to sleep, they will cause your muscles to relax and limit your air passage way. Recent research has linked poor sleep to weight gain, so stopping your snoring could also help you whittle your waist line. Relax Your Throat with Tea and Honey. Did you know that many opera singers drink tea with honey to open their throats for singing? Tea and honey also open the throat for breathing, helping to prevent snoring. Don’t Smoke. Smoking closes air passages, increasing snoring. Avoid Big Meals. That “stuffed” feeling means that you have crowded your diaphragm, giving you less room to breathe, and increasing the chances that you will snore. Nasal Strips and Nasal Sprays. Yes, some of them work. Try one at a time, one per week until you find one that works for you. Steam. Anything that reduces congestion will help to reduce snoring. Humidifiers help by reducing inflammation of your nasal passages. Firm Pillows. Soft pillows cause snoring or increase snoring. If your pillow is too soft, it make cause your throat to relax too much during the night, causing snoring. Firm pillows reduce snoring or can help reduce snoring. Related Links Poor Sleep Leads to Gaining Weight Snoring Increases Stroke Risk 67% "My Husband Died of Stroke--a personal story" The Problem of Shallow Sleep Can't Sleep-Here's Help Why Does Your Dog Snore Stroke News Lose 10lbs -A Simple Plan for The Rest of Us My Heart Attack Other Links and Resources: Links Page -Directories, Treatment Resources and Online VideoTutorials |