Snoring is the production of sound in the throat as we sleep.
It is a condition that has caused strained relationships between spouses.
This condition results from the vibration of throat tissue which come under pressure from air emanating from the lungs.
This is as a result of constriction of the air passage.
Studies have suggested the following as causes of snoring.
Obesity is a condition in which a person's body weight is not balances with their height.
The excess body fat accumulates in the neck resulting in constriction of the respiratory tract.
In addition, there is excess tissue that is found in the throat in the form of fat.
These two conditions result in a narrow air passage which has a lot of tissue obstructing air from the lungs.
As the person sleeps, breathing causes vibration of the tissue.
Exercise and nutrition is the cure for obesity.
This will cut down the fat in the neck area making the air passage wider and with fewer obstacles.
It is recommended that obese people take up a weight loss program which will help them lose fat.
Another cause for snoring is sleeping on the back.
People usually sleep in two positions, on their side or their back.
Sleeping on the back results in the collapsing of the throat tissue onto the air passage.
This creates an obstruction of air leaving the lungs.
A remedy for this is sleeping on the side.
However, it has also been discovered that the body will turn to sleep on the back during the night because it has become habit.
Sleeping on the side can also be turned to habit.
There are stop snoring devices which have been made to help the body adopt the habit of sleeping on the side.
These include stop snoring balls which are tied on the back as one sleeps.
The devices apply pressure on the back if one attempts to sleep on it.
This prompts the user to turn and sleep on their side.
Over time, the brain will be cheated into believing that sleeping on the back will result in some pain which came from the ball.
It will therefore send signals to the body to always sleep on the side.
Oral breathing is another cause for snoring.
This usually results in blockage of the nasal passage either by ailment, the tongue or because of obesity.
To cure this, stop snoring devices have also been made.
These devices are either used in the mouth or nose.
Oral stop snoring devices are put in the mouth to keep it shut as we sleep.
These include among others the mandibular advancement appliances.
These resemble the mouth guards put on high impact sport athletes.
Nasal stop snoring devices are put in the nostrils or on the nose.
They work by keeping the nasal passage open as you sleep allowing nasal breathing.
These devices include the nasal strips and nasal dilators.