Snoring…..

Most people snore occasionally. Men are 50% more likely to snore than women.  In some cases the sound may be soft, but in other cases, it can be loud and unpleasant. Snoring is usually not a serious problem.

Snoring is the hoarse or harsh sound that occurs when your breathing is partially obstructed in some way while you’re sleeping. Sometimes snoring may indicate a serious health condition. In addition, snoring can be a nuisance to your partner.

Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in your throat, causing the tissues to vibrate as you breathe, which creates those irritating sounds.

Depending on the cause of your snoring, your symptoms may include:

• Throat weakness, causing the throat to close during sleep.
• Mispositioned jaw, often caused by tension in the muscles.
• Fat gathering in and around the throat.
• Obstruction in the nasal passageway.
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• The tissues at the top of airways touching each other, causing vibrations.
• Relaxants such as alcohol or drugs relaxing throat muscles.
• Sleeping on one’s back, which may result in the  tongue dropping to the back of the mouth.
• Sore throat
• Chest pain at night
• High Blood pressure

 The following conditions can affect the airway and cause snoring:

• Your mouth anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate can narrow your airway. People who are overweight may have extra tissues in the back of their throat that may narrow their airways. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased.
• Alcohol consumption. Snoring also can be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defences against airway obstruction.
• Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum) may contribute to your snoring.
• Sleep apnoea. Snoring also may be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues partially or completely block your airway, preventing you from breathing.

Sleep apnoea – often is characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence when breathing stops or nearly stops. Eventually, this reduction or pause in breathing may signal you to wake up, and you may awaken with a loud snort or gasping sound. You may sleep lightly due to disrupted sleep. This pattern of breathing pauses may be repeated many times during the night.

Lifestyle factors:

• Maintain a  healthy body weight (lose weight if overweight)
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce intake of alcohol and avoid alcohol close to bedtime
• Avoid taking sleeping pills
• Sleep on the side rather than the back
• Don’t smoke

Homoeopathy Remedies….

Snoring  in homoeopathy  has to be treated by  taking into consideration the case history of the patient like the mental/physical symptoms , likes /dislikes etc.

Some remedies to be considered as  constitutional  medicines for snoring are  OPIUM  /LAC CANINUM/ LACHESIS / SULPHUR / CUPRUM / NUX VOMICA .