16:22 28 June 2016
Sleep medicine expert Marianne Davey said that the best way to tackle snoring is to identify the causes to find targeted solutions.
‘You can’t cure snoring but you can find effective ways of controlling it,’ says Ms Davey.
‘The main thing is to find out what’s causing it – are the snores being caused by a problem related to the mouth, nose or tongue?
‘Working that out will help you find the right treatment, while saving money on treatments that won’t work.’
There are three types of snorer, namely:
· The nasal snorer – To check if you’re a nasal snorer, press the side of one nostril to close it and inhale through your other nostril with your moth closed. If the nostril tends to collapse, prop it open with the end of a matchstick. If breathing is easier with the nostril propped, using nasal dilators is the best way to solve your snoring problem.
· The mouth snorer – Open your mouth and make a snoring noise. Do the same while your mouth is closed. If you can only snore with your mouth open, then you are a mouth breather. Products that help you keep your mouth closed while sleeping will help you stop snoring.
· Tongue snorer – Stick your tongue out as far as it will go and then grip it between your teeth. Make a snoring noise. If the snoring is minimised when your tongue is in this position, your snoring could be caused by lack of tone in the tongue and surrounding tissues. To tackle this type of snoring, you may use devices that position your lower jaw up to 5mm forward.