There’s nothing worse than traveling to visit relatives for the holidays and worrying that your snoring will keep everyone in the house awake. If this happened to you over the holidays, or is happening now with a pending vacation or trip, there’s hope. With the right treatment, you could soon be experiencing a better, quieter life, while you experience better health.
To start, you should know that snoring is a very common problem. Forty-five percent of all adults snore occasionally and twenty-five percent of adults snore regularly.
Snoring is generally caused by partial obstruction in the back of the throat and may be an indication of a medical problem. Snoring also disrupts sleep for the snorer and for the snorer’s family and it can be a source of social embarrassment.
“It can affect a marriage,” said Dr. Matthew Bridges of Commonwealth Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists. “The majority of the time it’s usually the spouse of the person who is snoring that makes the appointment and comes in with the patient to tell us about the snoring.”
From weight gain to more serious medical conditions like sleep apnea, there may be variety of causes for snoring. Dr. Bridges suggests that a discussion with your doctor and an evaluation is the first step to finding a cure. Based on the cause of your snoring, your doctor may be able to suggest some simple tips to help you have a peaceful night of sleep, including:
Changing your sleep position
Losing weight
Avoiding alcohol
Practicing good sleep hygiene
Opening nasal passages
Changing your pillows
Staying hydrated
Snoring can also be caused by nasal obstructions, allergies, a deviated septum or even sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder in which a person’s breathing may be interrupted often throughout the night. Sleep apnea is typically the first thing that Dr. Bridges wants to rule out when seeing a patient for snoring.
If you snore consistently, it’s important to talk with your doctor to help get to the root of the problem. Whether the cause of your snoring is benign or something more serious, making an appointment with a doctor is the first step to having a silent, restful night of sleep.
MEDARVA has 2 outpatient surgery centers and has specialists for all your needs, including pediatric specialists. To learn more or schedule an appointment, you can contact MEDARVA here: 804- 775-4500 or http://www.medarva.com/contact