Snoring occurs because of an obstruction of the airway. This obstruction leads to the air not flowing cleanly through the airways and makes tissue in the person’s mouth, nose and throat vibrate as the air passes through.

Causes of snoring

There are also a number of different factors that can make snoring worse:

• Alcohol or sleeping tablets relax the muscles in the throat even more and result in increased turbulence.
• Being overweight puts pressure on the airways. In particular if a person has a large neck this can lead to problems with snoring as the more muscle power is needed to keep the throat open if the neck is wide. This will result in the throat becoming narrower when the muscles relax during sleep.
• Colds, allergies, nasal polyps, a damaged or crooked nose can block the nose, causing you to breathe through your mouth.
• Smoking is likely to increase the possibility that the airways will become inflamed and swollen.
• Sleeping on your back. The throat also becomes narrower when sleeping on your back.
• If you breathe through your mouth and not your nose then you could suffer more from snoring. This is because turbulence increases when you breathe through your mouth as the air hits the back of the throat head-one whereas when a person breathes through their nose, the air enters the throat in parallel with it
• If you have a small jaw, narrow throat or had relatives who snore then you could be at increased risk of snoring.

While there are a number of products to stop snoring, it is worth trying to change certain aspects of your daily routine to see if this has an impact on your snoring first.

Natural remedies for snoring

Here are some tips that can help you stop snoring through natural methods alone

• Try to lose weight. As already highlighted, being overweight puts pressure on the airways that can increase the likelihood that you will snore.
• Try to avoid drinking alcohol or taking sleeping tablets just before you go to bed.
• Raise the head of your bed up. This will put less gravitational pressure on the throat muscles.
• Try to keep your nasal passages clear. You can do this by using a humidifier or inhaling steam or by using eucalyptus oils or nasal sprays to help clear the airways.
• Sleep with your mouth closed. If you or your partner notice that you tend to snore when you sleep with your mouth open then you should consider purchasing a device that keeps your mouth closed while you sleep.
• Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Take regular exercise, have a balanced diet and try to stop smoking and drinking less.

Snoring can be a sign of a person having sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a more serious condition that can block a person’s airway and stop them from breathing for a few seconds. This results in the person waking up many times throughout the night and not getting a good night’s sleep.

stop snoring treatments: which ones are the best?

Non-surgical treatments

Mouth guards

A mouth guard can significantly reduce the impact of snoring for some people. The mouth guard will push the lower jaw forward and improve the air flow through your air ways when you sleep.

Nasal sprays

For some people a blocked nose could be the main cause of snoring. If you have a blocked nose then nasal spray can help reduce congestion and mean that you don’t suffer from snoring as much.

Medical snoring treatments

CPAP Machines

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP machines) help to keep the airway open while you sleep. The snoring suffer wears a mask over their nose or face that blows pressurized air into the mask.

Traditional Surgery

Surgical procedures such as Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, can reduce the impact of snoring. These surgical procedures increase the size of the airway by correct abnormalities. The Pillar is another procedure that can be very effective at reducing the effects of snoring. Small implants are inserted into the soft palate. After this, scar tissue grows around the implants which stiffen the soft palate and stops the vibrations that cause snoring.

What Are The Causes of Acne?

Acne is usually caused by an increase of androgen hormones during puberty. The higher hormone levels cause the sebaceous glands in the hair follicles produce excessive sebum. If too much sebum is produced then extra cells block the opening of the hair follicles. The blockages cause mild forms of acne and blackheads to appear.

Acne Treatments

There are two main forms of acne treatments. Topical treatments are applied to the skin and oral medicines are taken by mouth. Mild acne usually responds to topical treatments, however more serious cases of acne may require prescription medicines.

Home and Over-The-Counter Treatments

Over-the-counter treatments are suitable for mild types of acne. You can buy these products from your pharmacist without the need for a prescription. Here are some of the more popular types of over-the-counter treatments.

Skin cleaners – skin cleansers are available over the counter and are useful in the treatment of mild acne. Some of the more popular skin cleansers on the market are Oxy and Clearasil max.

Benzoyl peroxide - Benzoyl peroxide contains antibacterial properties that help to decrease the amount of bacteria on the skin. This will help shed any excess skin and unblock hair follicles and decrease skin oiliness.

Topical Prescription Treatments

Topical prescription treatments are suitable for anybody suffering from moderate to severe acne. Topical treatments are applied to the skin. Your doctor will be able to recommend which of the following treatments are best suited to you

Topical Retinoids – Topical retinoids clear follicles and cells. They are chemically related to vitamin A and are not to be used during pregnancy and are available only on prescription.

Topical Antibiotics – Topical antibiotics are applied to the skin in order to reduce bacteria and sebum. They are not used to treat blackheads or whiteheads but pus-filled spots.

Oral Prescription Medicines

Oral prescription medicines are suitable for moderate to severe acne sufferers. Again, oral prescription methods are only available from your doctor.

Oral Antibiotics – Oral antibiotics are prescribed for moderate to severe acne. Treatment with these usually continues for months, often in combination with products meant for topical application.

Oral Antibiotics – Oral antibiotics are often used in combination with topical treatments. Oral antibiotics are usually used for months in order to see the best results.

Isotretinoin - Isotretinoin is prescribed for the most severe forms of acne. Isotretinoin is a chemical relative of Vitamin A and helps to reduce sebum and results in fewer skin bacteria. Isotretinoin is not usually used in combination with topical acne treatments.

Hormone contraceptive pills – Hormone contraceptive pills are used by females and these help regulate hormones that are responsible for greasy skin acne and acne.

It is important to remember that acne treatments can take time to work. You should not stop using an acne treatment if you don’t see an instant effect. During the initial stages of some acne treatments you might find that your skin dries out, however, your skin will usually adjust after some time. If your acne does not get any better then talk your doctor or pharmacist.