Snoring can cause you and your loved ones to get sub-par sleep.
ORAL ISSUES THAT LEAD TO SNORING AND TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN GET RID OF THE CONDITION.
Snoring is one of the symptoms of sleep apnea, a sleeping condition where your breathing stops and starts repeatedly. It’s an unmistakable hoarse sound brought about when your airway gets partially or fully blocked during sleep. Some of its other symptoms include fatigue (even after a full night’s sleep) and gasping for air during sleep.
How is snoring related to oral issues you ask?
Here are some oral issues that lead to snoring and tips on how to manage your sleep better.
Smoking, alcohol, and sedatives
The use of drugs, especially alcohol and smoking, dramatically increases your sleep apnea chances, and this eventually leads to snoring. The snoring happens because the drugs relax your throat’s back muscles, making it harder for your throat muscles to open and keep a steady air-flow when you’re asleep.
Tip
It would help if you quit smoking and cut back on the amount of alcohol you take so that your throat muscles get time to heal and regain their elasticity and rigidity. Doing this will help reduce your sleep apnea and allow you to sleep better.
Anatomy
People with long uvulas and a soft, thick palate are also more predisposed to snoring. These anatomical conditions play a huge factor in the amount and quality of sleep you get at night. The risk of being affected with sleep apnea is even more profound with obese people since they have a thicker layer of fat and tissue at the back of their throat, which further narrows their airway.
Tip
If you suspect that you have a long uvula causing you to snore, you should visit a dentist to have your uvula trimmed. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is a medical procedure where your uvula gets cut, and some of your throat’s soft palate muscles are re-positioned to help widen your airway so that you can sleep better. Be sure to find a trusted dentist since wrong/botchy dental work may lead to even more snoring problems.
Dentists have found a link between snoring and having crooked teeth. Crooked teeth often lead to under or overbites, which reduce the space your tongue rests on, pushing it further back into your throat, blocking your airway.
Tip
Have your teeth looked at and straightened by a dentist, and this will create more space for your tongue to rest. Doing this will not only enable you to smile better, but it also relieves your throat and helps open your airway, allowing you to sleep better – for longer.
Snoring is managed through many techniques, and the earlier you diagnose and treat it, the better you’ll sleep. If you suspect that you suffer from sleep apnea, you should visit a dentist and get a proper examination to determine the next cause of action. If you happen to live in London, give us a call and we will be glad to help.
Sleep better, smile better. Check out our sleep apnea treatment today.
