Snoring- It is not just a nuisance

Sep 14, 2008

SNORING is often viewed as a comic nuisance. Couples complain of partners keeping them awake. The children will laugh at grandpa snoring away during an afternoon nap, and if you are the one who kept everyone awake during a group sleep-over, you will be the joke the next morning.

By Arthur Baguma

SNORING is often viewed as a comic nuisance. Couples complain of partners keeping them awake. The children will laugh at grandpa snoring away during an afternoon nap, and if you are the one who kept everyone awake during a group sleep-over, you will be the joke the next morning.

Society attaches social stigma to snorers and people who experience it fear to mention it or even seek medical help.
Dr. Charles Mukisa advises people with a snoring problem to seek a remedy.

He advises that there are many effective treatments for snoring. Finding the cause of snoring and the right cure will vastly improve one’s health, relationships and sleep.

Snoring is caused by the narrowing of the airway, either from poor sleep posture or abnormalities of the soft tissues in the throat. “A narrow airway gets in the way of smooth breathing and creates the sound of snoring,” says Mukisa.

People who snore often have too much throat and nasal tissue that is more prone to vibrate. The position of the tongue can also get in the air way. Evaluating how and when you snore helps you know whether the cause is within your control or not.

Dr. Peter Masaba notes that many snorers tend not to notice their problem unless they are told. But this is a serious problem, especially in people who are obese.

“It could be a sign of serious obstructions in breathing,” he says.
Too much exposure to pets at a young age has also been linked to snoring.

Children who grow up in the company of furry animals are more likely to become snoring adults, according to a new study. Newborns in contact with dogs, they found, were most likely to become nocturnal noisemakers when they grew up.

“These factors may enhance inflammatory processes and alter upper airway anatomy early in life, causing an increased susceptibility for adult snoring,” the study said.

The harsh, occasionally nerve-wracking sounds associated with snoring are caused by the vibrating of the soft palate. The study was published in the Britain-based BioMed Central’s journal Respiratory Research.

Dr. Kajumba Muganga, a Paediatrician, says snoring among children is mainly associated with nasal obstructions, but these can be treated depending on the problem after diagnosis. Medical research has confirmed that snoring can affect the quantity and quality of sleep.

Poor sleep can lead to daytime fatigue, irritability and increased health problems. At the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in June 2001, Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D, reported that people who regularly do not get enough sleep can become less sensitive to insulin.

This increases their risk for diabetes and high blood pressure — both serious threats to the brain. Previous work by Dr. Van Cauter, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, found that metabolic and endocrine changes resulting from a significant sleep debt mimic many of the hallmarks of aging.

Chronic sleep loss may hasten the onset and also increase the severity of age-related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and memory loss.

How to stop snoring
Sleep on your side
Elevate the head of your bed
Limit alcohol and medications
Clear your nasal passage
Lose weight
Seek medical attention when you notice the problem

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