Find Out if It's Sleep Apnea

iVillage.com: 13 Ways to Stop Snoring

When you have obstructive sleep apnea your airway collapses during sleep and your breathing stops momentarily, depriving vital organs of oxygen, which can lead to consequences like heart attack, stroke and problems with memory and concentration, says Dr. Kushida. To manage sleep apnea your doctor will probably recommend a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) mask. It fits over your nose and mouth and is hooked up to a machine that draws air from the room, pumping it gently through your nose to keep the airway open, Kushida explains. If the mask is uncomfortable or makes you feel claustrophobic, anxious or panicked, Kolstanginova recommends speaking to a sleep psychologist to help you overcome your fear and discomfort. Besides quieting your snoring, the mask decreases your risk of heart attack and stroke and can alleviate depression, reduce symptoms of bipolar disorder as well as boost your memory and concentration, says Kushida.

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Listen and Learn...

If you snore, you’re probably the last person to know. The first is your partner, and if he or she says you’re snoring, don’t dismiss it. If you sleep alone, it’s harder to know if you snore, though one clue is consistently feeling sleepy during the day. If you’re allowing yourself eight hours of sleep each night, but not feeling refreshed, snoring may be the culprit.

When something blocks your breathing -- throat muscles being too relaxed or another issue that narrows the airway -- the tissues at the top of your airway vibrate causing those loud sounds. Whether the clues are overt (spousal complaints) or subtle (daytime fatigue), check in with your doctor -- or even a sleep specialist -- to determine the cause of your snoring and get it under control. In the meantime, there are several things you can do on your own to reduce how much snoring (and avoid the wrath of your partner).

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Lose Weight

If excess weight builds up in the throat, it will narrow your airway, causing you to snore. Studies about habitual snoring have revealed that the typical snorer is male and overweight. Obviously, being overweight is the easier thing to change. While losing weight won’t cure snoring, according to Clete Kushida, M.D., director of the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center in Redwood, Calif., it can lessen the volume and frequency of your snoring. Plus, losing weight is good for general health. You may have to lose 10 percent of your body weight before noticing a difference in your snoring, says Nina Kolstanginova, M.D., of the of the Hamden Sleep Disorder Center of Connecticut.

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Quit Smoking

Besides being overweight, smoking is also common among snorers. It’s not surprising since anything that interferes with the flow of air in your upper airways increases the risk of snoring. Nicotine can irritate your throat and weaken tissue in your airway, causing an obstruction that leads to snoring, says Dr. Kolstanginova. For help kicking the habit, check out the American Cancer Society or the Centers for Disease Control for help.

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Don't Drink Too ...

Alcohol relaxes the muscles of the upper airway and can suppress your breathing, which can lead to snoring or worsen sleep apnea, says Kolstanginova. Moderate your drinking and cut yourself off well before bedtime.

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Eat Carefully

If you’re prone to acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), be especially careful about what you eat since the acid can irritate the throat and tissues of the upper airways, causing them to collapse while you snooze. Steer clear of spicy and greasy foods and refrain from eating close to bedtime or going to sleep with a full stomach, says Kolstanginova.

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Control Allergi...

If you’re sawing logs come springtime, you could be suffering from allergies. Left untreated, allergies can inflame the sinuses and constrict your air passages, says Kolstanginova. Once a diagnosis is confirmed by an allergist, you will most likely be prescribe a nasal steroid spray or an over-the-counter remedy to get your allergies under control.

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Treat Upper Resp...

Like allergies, upper respiratory infections disturb the upper airways, causing inflammation, narrowing passageways and irritating tissue --- all factors that can exacerbate snoring. To keep snoring in check, see your doctor to treat infections as soon as they arise, says Kushida.

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Use Nasal Strips

Cheap and safe (unless you have a latex allergy), nasal strips may decrease snoring, especially if you have a deviated nasal septum, or narrow passageways, says Kolstanginova. Placed on the outside of your nose, these adhesive strips pull the nostrils apart to create more room in your airway. They aren’t for everyone -- they won’t work for people with large tonsils, for instance -- but there’s no risk in trying them.

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Sleep On Your Si...

Back sleeping is the bane of snorers. In that position your tongue naturally falls back into your throat, narrowing your airway. If you aren't a natural side or stomach sleeper, you can create a physical remember to roll over: Sew a pocket on the back of a pajama top big enough for a tennis ball to rest against the mid portion of your spine, suggests Kolstanginova. You can also look for t-shirts with bumps already sewn in.

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Talk to Your Den...

Sometimes snoring is associated with misaligned teeth or a crowded mouth. If that’s the case, a dentist can custom-make a device that creates more space between the upper and lower teeth to open the back of your throat. It’s different from the mouth guard that teeth grinders use, but you will also have to wear it nightly, says Kolstanginova.

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Get Your Nose an...

Still stumped about your snoring? Visit an ear, nose and throat doctor, who may recommend an endoscopy to probe your nose and airways to rule out any anatomical problems such as a deviated septum or a narrower airway on one side, says Kolstanginova.

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Consider Surgery

Surgery is the last line of defense against snoring or sleep apnea. Surgical procedures can range from radioablation (killing the tissue on the root of the tongue), soft palate implants (implants harden the palate and reduce vibrations) and displacing the lower jaw forward to create more airway space to removing the uvula (the tissue that hangs in the back of the throat), soft palate and tonsils. Unless you have a preexisting medical condition, surgery is usually an outpatient procedure, says Kolstanginova.

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