The effects of a poor lifestyle including smoking will have their own effect on the cardiovascular system and the pulmonary system which is magnified by the deleterious effects of the stertor and apnoea itself. Lack of exercise will result in weight gain (the major cause of snoring) and alcohol consumed before sleeping will aggravate snoring by decreasing upper airway muscular tone.
Lifestyle Causes Include
• eating
• alcohol
• smoking
• exercise
Management of Snoring
Lifestyle changes are the most important especially with regards to weight loss.
Medical therapy is not that effective but may assist with nasal obstruction as in allergic rhinitis.
Appliances: A selected number of patients may benefit from upper and lower gum guard equivalents essentially advancing the lower jaw and tongue forward during sleep to decrease obstruction and increase the airflow and therefore decrease snoring.
Surgery: This is limited to the site of lesion or the specific disease, for instance, removal of huge tonsils. More sophisticated surgeries such as Coblation and Laser may assist stertor by reducing the bulk of the obstructive tissue. CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is highly effective in reducing stertor and apnoea but has its own drawbacks as “a machine” is used with some form of face mask. There are many over-the-counter and internet-based devices that are promoted which probably have limited benefits.
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