If you have begun snoring suddenly and have not had that problem before you could be wondering how and why this has occurred. Well you’re not alone. This happens to significant percentage of men and women as they get older. It may also happen to women and men if they put on weight.
While snoring can be a marriage breaker, and its relative obstructive sleep apnoea deadly, snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea themselves are relatively easy to understand and treat. For some fortunate people when they sleep their airways remain sufficiently open, particularly in the area behind the tongue, and they have no problems. Snorers and sleep apnoea sufferers on the other hand experience a problem with their airways narrowing while they sleep.
The narrowed airway means air travels faster to fill the lungs. This increased velocity causes the soft tissues in the throat to vibrate, leading to the snoring noise. With sleep apnoea the narrowed airway actually collapses causing the individual to also miss some breaths. This may be deadly and if not treated is known to increase the chances of premature death by 30%.
So how can age and weight suddenly cause somebody to start snoring and to suddenly have obstructive sleep apnoea? As we grow older our muscle tone decreases. This decreased muscle tone may cause the airway to narrow and even collapse when we sleep. It is for this reason it’s believed playing the didgeridoo can help treat snoring by strengthening the muscles in the throat. If you put on some weight the fatty tissues round the throat can also cause it to narrow and even collapse during sleep. This can simply be due to the extra tissue weight and the effects of gravity. Unfortunately many people experience both a reduction in muscle tone and an increase in weight as they grow older. This is the reason why above the age of 60 2 times as many men and women snore.
A simple and effective treatment for both snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea in its moderate and mild forms is a mandibular advancement device such as the Somnowell. The Somnowell is worn in the mouth during sleep and holds the lower jaw and tongue forward in what is commonly known as the recovery position. This effectively keeps the airway open during sleep. Unlike plastic equivalents the Somnowell is made from chrome cobalt alloy that like gold is idea for long term use in the mouth. The Somnowell is also smaller, tougher and more hygienic than plastic oral devices. The Somnowell is the ultimate oral device for stopping snoring.
Loran Simon is a director at Somnowell. The Somnowell is the 1st chrome cobalt alloy anti snore device used the professional management of snoring. The Somnowell is considered by many practitioners to be the Rolls Royce of snoring cures.