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This Issue
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SNORING
Reprinted with permission from the book DREAMING, SLEEPING & ESP
In most cases, snoring is simply a nuisance. As we grow older, we snore more. Fifty percent of men over the age of 60 snore. Women do nt snore as much, however the incidence does increase after menopause.
The most common cause of snoring is due to either the nose being blocked or the lining being swolled ir irritated. The result is that you breathethrough your mouth instead of the nose which vibrates the soft palate and the back of the tongue.
The most frequent cause of snoring is an obstruction of the noise often caused by a cold or allergy. In other cases a tumot or polyp may develop on the nasal septum which requires surgical removal.
Other common causes are cigarettes smoke, inadequate humidity and obesity.
People who snore a lot will most likely experience a decrease in health because it ends up eating into a good night's sleep due to frequent lack of oxygen. When a snorer wakes up he finds his blood pressure to to be elevated which results in a higher risk of heart attack. It can also increase the risk of blood clots because the blood is not circulating well.
Snoring can be reduced in many instances. A personal physician will check for nasal obstructions and suggest that you reduce your weight, smoking, alcohol consumption or provide adequate humidification in your home.
Sometimes snoring can be reduced by simply sleeping in a different manner because many people snore only when they are in a certain position.
The medical procedure which is most often performed to alleviate snoring is called an uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and is successful about 80% of the time.