Male snoring is still considered something quite ordinary and natural, the same belonging to the stronger sex, like a mustache or beard. Men are twice as likely as women to make loud nocturnal noises in the bedroom at night, and they start snoring at a much younger age.
However, snoring in men is not only a "feature of the body" that you can not pay much attention to, and not just a sound that annoys your partner in bed, but often also a symptom of respiratory disorders during sleep, which can significantly worsen well-being and disrupt the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system. This is a wake-up call, which is better to respond in a timely manner to preserve your own health.
Do not think that snoring is harmless, often it indicates the presence of quite serious problems. Even simple, uncomplicated, that is, not yet passed into the stage of respiratory arrest, snoring often creates a tense situation in the family. After all, next to a loud snoring person, it is almost impossible to get a good night's sleep. If snoring is complicated by obstructive apnea, and even in severe form, the consequences can be very dramatic: high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction or stroke. In addition, chronic sleep disorders and nighttime oxygen starvation of the brain lead to constant drowsiness and fatigue during the day, impaired memory and attention. Irritability, bad mood, absent-mindedness and low ability to work become everyday companions of a person suffering from sleep apnea. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can cause a decrease in sexual desire and potency. Sleep apnea can lead to erectile dysfunction, even in men who are still very far from old age.
Why do men snore? There may be several reasons for this phenomenon:
* Anatomical features of the structure of the nasopharynx, both congenital and resulting from injuries, various chronic inflammatory or allergic diseases.
* Overweight-the deposition of fat in the neck area reduces the lumen of the pharynx. An increase in body weight already by 10-15 kg can lead to the appearance of regular snoring during sleep.
* Alcohol and smoking. Alcohol lowers the tone of the pharyngeal muscles, and tobacco smoke causes chronic inflammation and swelling of the upper respiratory tract. As a result, these bad habits can lead, among other things, to snoring.
* Decreased muscle tone of the upper respiratory tract caused by age-related changes and hormonal imbalances.
* Diseases of the endocrine system: for example, patients with hypothyroidism, i.e. with reduced thyroid function, snore more often.
Sometimes the vibrations of the walls of the pharynx, which actually produce the sound of snoring, are so great that from time to time I completely block the lumen of the upper respiratory tract, creating an obstacle to the flow of air, and it can not get into the lungs. There are respiratory pauses - episodes of apnea. This is no longer a simple, but a complicated snoring-obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. It is this situation that is fraught with the greatest trouble for a snoring man.
Regular loud snoring often becomes a serious problem-both for the snorer himself and for all members of his family. How can a man get rid of snoring in his sleep? Most of the "miracle" remedies for snoring that the Internet offers us today will be, alas, useless here. Given the variety of causes of snoring, as well as the possible presence of sleep apnea, its treatment in men may not be the same and standard for everyone. It is necessary, if possible, to identify the reason why a particular person snores, and to establish the presence and severity of respiratory disorders during sleep. Only then can we talk about choosing an individual treatment strategy that will give a stable positive result.
The first step is to get advice from a somnologist-pulmonologist. This is a specialist who deals with respiratory disorders, including those that occur during sleep. To begin with, the somnologist will conduct an examination that allows you to determine the nature of respiratory disorders and their degree – polysomnography or cardiorespiratory monitoring during sleep. If the doctor determines that a man has a simple, uncomplicated snoring, then the next step will require an ENT specialist to determine whether there are any serious abnormalities on the part of the nasopharynx. Depending on the identified problems, the subsequent individually selected treatment will be prescribed.
Modern medicine today can offer several ways for a man to get rid of snoring and sleep apnea:
* Oral applicators ( or mouthguards) are special devices that are fixed on the teeth during sleep, ensure the optimal position of the upper and lower jaws and, thereby, increase the lumen of the pharynx. In relatively mild cases, such devices reduce the intensity of snoring or even contribute to its disappearance. However, in severe sleep apnea, mouthguards are not particularly effective and will not be able to eliminate snoring and respiratory arrest. And one more significant nuance: in order for the mouthpiece to really help even with a mild form of the disease, you should order its individual production by a cast of the jaws from a qualified dentist. Standard mass-produced devices do not have any other advantages, except for a low price, alas.
* Surgical intervention. If snoring has appeared due to obvious and pronounced abnormalities of the nasopharyngeal anatomy, then surgical treatment can really be effective. However, this is also not a panacea, and in cases of severe sleep apnea, resorting to surgery is generally contraindicated.
* CPAP therapy-breathing with positive air pressure during sleep. The most advanced method of treating snoring with apnea today. The simple, safe, and efficient hardware method has only one relative disadvantage: you will have to sleep in a special mask for most of the night. But nothing better than SiPAP for the treatment of snoring with a severe form of obstructive sleep apnea has not yet been invented. Therefore, a little discomfort from the mask on the face seems a reasonable price to pay for good health and good health for many years to come.
In any case, whatever method of treatment the specialist chooses, it does not cancel the recommendations for reducing excess weight, as well as the rejection of existing bad habits.
It should be understood that it is quite possible to get rid of snoring and related troubles, and sometimes even without any excessive efforts on the part of a man. You just need to start with a consultation with a competent specialist-somnologist, who will help you choose the best method for solving the problem – make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment that will be effective and safe.