REMEDIES FOR SNORING

     Why do people snore? According to study in normal breathing the air passes from the nostrils and travels into the pharynx to the larynx down to the throat on its way to the lungs via the trachea. When the muscular structure around these areas keep the structures open, the airflow is regulated. Thus no sound is produced. But when there is narrowing in the air passages, it causes a vibration to the soft palate and the uvula, a small tissue that is hanging at the back of the tongue, a snoring sound then results. The narrowing may be due to either structural or functional cause.

     What is structural causes? Structural causes can be brought about by upper respiratory tract infection such as colds or allergy, obstruction in the nose, mouth and throat such as nasal polyps, or sleeping in a supine position.

    What is functional causes? Functional (lifestyle) causes include being overweight, alcohol drinking especially near bedtime, inhalation of any allergenic substance, intake of sedative medications, and active or passive smoking.

     That is why more men snore as compared with women. Study shows four out of every 10 men snore compared to roughly 3 out of 10 women.

     Did you know that, snoring is not simple as that because maybe it could be a sign of a serious problem, especially when the snorer has episodes of disruptive breathing it may be sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is associated with strokes, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular diseases.

     Chronic snoring can cause the heart to eventually wear out. The more the airway is blocked, the greater the heart works to supply air to the system, and the greater the risk of high blood pressure development.       

    Chronic snoring also includes the risk of neurological and psychological problems including excessive daytime sleepiness, drowsiness after a supposedly good night sleep, memory loss, depression, chronic headache, and difficulty in concentrating and it also affect your work performances.

Here are some simple suggestions for remedies to snorers:

1. If you are overweight or obyss just lose your weight.

2. Stop smoking or avoid exposed to cigarette smoke.

3. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages especially near to bedtime.

4. Eat your supper light and early in the evening.

5. Avoid caffeine.

If the snoring is structural cause, here are helpful tips:

1. Sleep facing on your side.

2. Do steam inhalation just before sleeping when having nasal congestion. You may add eucalyptus oil to the steaming water for aroma.

3. Avoid allergy-causing foods The most common food allergens are dairy products, cod fish, wheat, soybean, crustaceans like crabs, shrimps, and lobster as well as nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts.

4. Avoid common airborne allergens like mold, pollen and dust mites.

5. Do some throat exercise for 30 minutes to strengthen your throat.

    

Here is how:

•   Say loud the vowel sound several times.

•  Reach the top front teeth with the tip of your tongue.

•  Sing. It increases the muscle tone in your throat.

After doing these remedies and still do not work go to your physicians and he maybe recommend a polysomnography test or a surgery to correct the problem.

Unfortunately, most snorers do not know that they snore. Many even argue that they do not snore. But the truth is that snoring can affect the snorer and those sleeping near to them.

Hyperthyroid Condition

    If the person experience an irregular heartbeat, in medical term, it called cardiac arrhythmia, it is the condition in which the heart's normal rhythm is disrupted. The most common type of irregular heartbeat due to a hyperthyroid condition is Atrial Fibrillation (AF or A-fib). Atrial Fibrillation may cause no symptoms but it is often associated with palpitations, fainting, chest pain, or congestive heart failure. However, in some people AF is caused by otherwise idiopathic or benign conditions. AF increases the risk of stroke the degree of stroke risk can be up to seven times that of the average population, depending on the presence of additional risk factors such as high blood pressure. It may be identified clinically when taking a pulse and the presence of AF can be confirmed with an Electrocardiogram (ECG) which demonstrates the absence of P waves together with an irregular ventricular rate. When given medications the heart rate can be controlled but the irregular beats remain.

   In hyperthyroid condition, the heart becomes stimulated by excessive thyroid hormone secretion, often the first sign that a person may be suffering from hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone. Some people complain of palpitations or a conscious feeling of an irregularity in the beating of the heart. When the hyperthyroid condition becomes symptomatic, the term thyrotoxicosis is applied. When the heart is affected by thyrotoxicosis, it is called thyrotoxic heart disease.

    If the heartbeat is fast, but no irregular, a beta blocker tablet will best help. Treatment can be based on the physical exam and ECG findings. If the AF is just acute (new) at onset, there is a big possibility that the heartbeat will revert to normal rhythm after the correction of the hyperthyroid condition. On the other hand, chronic or long-standing AF may remain to be permanent even after thyroid treatment.

    Aside from the treatment described above, thyrotoxicosis should also be controlled by medications that will suppress the thyroid hormone production. After a few weeks of treatment, the thyroid hormone levels should be rechecked. If it has normalized, then either a surgical removal of the thyroid or radioactive iodine treatment should be considered, to permanently control the overactive thyroid glands. Find an endocrinologist who can do the radioactive treatment. The surgical removal of the thyroid is preferred when there is an accompanying thyroid enlargement. After the removal of the  thyroid, the thyroid hormone should be regularly monitored since a hypothyroid condition can be a postoperative or post radioactive sequel of the treatment.

Glycemic Index (G.I.)

Have you heard the word Glycemic Index? Or your doctor talked to you about G.I? G.I. stands for Glycemic Index. What is Glycemic Index? In the dear Doctor section of Health and Home March-April 2011 issue, the Glycemic Index (G.I.) is a measure of the effects of carbohydrate foods on blood sugar levels after is absorbed from the digestive system. After ingestion of carbohydrate foods, they break down quickly during digestion to produce glucose that is delivered into the bloodstream. Carbohydrate foods that are rapidly absorbed as sugar is considered to have a high GI, while carbohydrate foods that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. The concept was developed by Dr. David J. Jenkins and colleagues at around 1980 at the University of Toronto in their research for foods that are best for people with diabetes.

Glycemic index is reported as a number from 1-100 which was computed by the comparison of the level of blood sugar that a specific food exerts to the level exerted by 50 gms of sugar when taken in (considered as 100). After taking the average level from several “normal” subjects, the GI is reported in numbers. A low GI is a level 55 or below. Medium GI is 56-69 level, and a high GI is 70 and above.

A lower GI suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods’ carbohydrates. This may also indicate greater extraction from the liver and periphery of the products of carbohydrate digestion so that glucose does not stay in the bloodstream for a longer time. Foods that have low GIs are ideal for people who are ever weight and do not want to develop diabetes.

The table below is the sample list of GI levels of common carbohydrate foods.

Classification	GI range	Examples
Low GI	55 or less	Most fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, meat, eggs, milk, nuts, fructose, and products low in carbohydrates
Medium GI	56-69	Whole wheat products, brown rice, sweet potatoes, sucrose, ice cream
High GI	70 and above	Baked potatoes, watermelon, white bread, most white rice, corn flakes, extruded breakfast cereals, glucose