Can snoring be cured? Nasal strips, throat sprays don't work?

Question

is there a cure for snoring? I find myself snoring during winter month, perhaps because of the dryness due to heat. Is there any way to cure this habit. Would a humidifier really help? Is lack of humidity related to snoring. I tried nasal strips and throat sprays, but they do not seem to work

Answer 1

You have done the right things by using breathing strips and humidifiers. I would guess that it's worse in the winter because the tissue lining your airways becomes swollen and thick.

One thing you can do is try sleeping on your side or your stomach. This causes gravity to work in your favor, rather than against you. When you sleep on your back, all of the tissues sag towards the back of your throat, and your airways partially close, causing snoring.

I don't know whether or not you are overweight, but if you are, that is a risk factor for snoring. Losing weight is a good "first step" to try. Another option, which may be a little bit more drastic, would be to have your tonsils and adenoids removed. This increases the airway size, and helps to reduce snoring.

If you feel like you are not well-rested in the mornings, or that you wake up often during the night, you may have a condition called sleep apnea. It is where you stop breathing for periods at a time, sometimes as long as 20-30 seconds. Snoring commonly goes along with sleep apnea. It can cause greater problems besides just sleeping poorly, including hypertension, heart disease, etc. Often, this is treated by removing the tonsils and adenoids, or using a machine called a CPAP machine when you sleep.

Good luck with everything!

Answer 2

Depending on the cause, you might inquire about a C-PAP device from your doctor. This is a machine (prescribed by your doctor and usually covered by insurance) attached to a mask that you wear while you sleep. The machine has a air pump that gently keeps air flowing through the mask and into your nasal passages while you sleep, keeping open the glottis flap that causes snoring (apnia) when it closes.
If the basic cause of the apnia is being overweight, loosing weight WILL correct the problem This was the case with my husband -- we were able to give the C-PAP back to the medical supply house after about 6 months. If the cause is a diviated septum or other nasal abnormality, your doctor may recommend surgery.
Godo luck and Happy Holidays!

Answer 3

Snoring is caused by a narrowing of the air passage in the back of the throat. Try to sleep in a different position.

Answer 4

I heard that drinking a glass of water before you go to sleep can help.