When you sleep, you might be off in a dream world, oblivious to what’s going on. 回到现实中, 你可能正在制造咕噜咕噜的bling, snort-ing, 或者老鼠的声音, 通常被称为打鼾.
Snoring is extremely common, and almost everyone snores at some point in their lives. It happens when something is obstructing your airway, restricting airflow through your nose and mouth.
并不是所有的鼾声都是一样的. Snoring sounds can include whistling, snort-ing, grumbling, rumbling, and quiet vibrations.
Snoring can often be associated with a sleep disorder called obstructive 睡眠呼吸暂停 (a condition that causes you to temporarily stop breathing while you sleep). Untreated obstructive 睡眠呼吸暂停 can be associated with significant long term risks such as heart attack, 中风, 和demen-tia. OSA is an under-recognized disorder that has many effective treatments available.
如果你打鼾或者别人告诉你你打鼾, you might be seeking solutions to improve your sleep and that of those around you. Clinical evaluation is worthwhile, as there are several options for treatment.
Below is an overview of approaches that can be taken to help address snoring.
改变生活方式停止打鼾
Before venturing into medical treatments for snoring, simple lifestyle changes can often help. Factors such as your weight, what position you sleep in, and your overall health can play a role.
Lifestyle changes to treat snoring include:
- Los-ing重量
- Changing your sleep position to avoid sleeping on your back
- 避免睡眠不足
- Treating nasal congestion with cold or allergy medication
- 睡前不喝酒
If these approaches to stop snoring aren’t effective, you may need to consider additional treatment options.
Nonsurgical Medical Treatments for Snoring
Snoring is a result of an obstructed airway. 打开你的通道, your healthcare provider might recommend nonsurgical approaches to address your snoring.
If your snoring is a result of obstructive 睡眠呼吸暂停 (OSA), a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine may be an option. A CPAP machine has a mask that fits over your mouth or nose as you sleep. This mask sends pressurized air into your airway, keeping it open and eliminating snoring related to sleep apnea.
在某些情况下, mild or moderate OSA can be treated with an oral mandibular advancement device (oral appliance). These are mouth pieces that are custom fitted to reposition your lower jaw to treat 睡眠呼吸暂停 and snoring.
In situations where there is prominent snoring but no evidence of sleep disordered breathing, conservative options such as nasal strips or mouth taping can be considered. Mouth taping has been put forth frequently on social media, but there is not yet strong clinical evidence to support its efficacy in treatment.
If you have questions about how to stop snoring, make an appointment for a 睡眠con-sul-ta-tion 在 South Bend Clinic Comprehensive Sleep Center to find out what’s causing your snoring and how it can be treated.
停止打鼾的手术
如果你打鼾很严重, your healthcare provider may recommend surgery to open your airway by reducing or removing excess tissue. Surgery can also be used to address a structural problem, like a deviated septum.
治疗打鼾的外科方法包括:
- Sep-to-plas-ty, which addresses a deviated septum (when the bone and cartilage that separates your nasal passage is off-center) to improve airflow
- 鼻甲复位, which consists of trimming tissue on the inside of the nose to reduce obstruction of the airway.
- de - noidec - to - my或ton - sil - lecto - my, which gets rid of extra tissue in the back of your upper throat/nose (adenoidectomy) or throat (tonsillectomy)
- Abla-tion ther-a-py, which uses radiofrequency energy to reduce tissue in your tongue and soft palate
Finding the Right Snoring Treatment For You
The most effective approach to stop snoring depends on the reason you’re snoring in the first place. To determine what’s causing your snoring, talk to your healthcare provider.
In many cases, a sleep study (either at home or in the sleep lab) may be recommended. This test allows your physician to rule out obstructive 睡眠呼吸暂停 as a cause and initiate appropriate treatment. We perform both home 睡眠呼吸暂停 tests and attended in lab polysomnograms 在 South Bend Clinic Comprehensive Sleep Center.
Snoring is common — and sometimes completely normal. But if it’s disrupting your sleep or someone who sleeps next to you, 也许是时候做出改变了. 与您的医疗保健提供者一起, you can help determine why you’re snoring and how best to address it.
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