He Snores Now She Snores
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Murray Grossan, MD. About the author: Dr. Grossan is an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon with the Tower Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and the founder of the Web based Grossan Sinus & Health Institute (https://www.grossaninstitute.com). He is author of Free Yourself from Sinus and Allergy Problems Permanently. |
Snoring is Contagious
You knew that common colds and flu are contagious; you know you shouldn’t kiss someone who is coughing and sneezing.
But, did you know that snoring is contagious?
Husband Dragged in by Wife
At least once a week, the wife drags her reluctant husband to my office, demanding that I stop his snoring. After my exam, and recommendations, he says, “But honey, you snore too!” She replies: “That’s your imagination. I slept in dormitories and with room- mates for years and never heard this before.”
I asked how long they had been together. They said four years. I explained that is the time it takes for the partner to start to snore too, because snoring is contagious.
Why this Happens
The wife doesn’t get good sleep because she is awakened by the snoring. When you don’t get good sleep, you wake up tired and irritable. But you need your energy for the job, kids, etc. So, she eats extra cookies. The extra calories get deposited as fat in the throat, especially the soft palate and throat muscles. Now, when she sleeps, she snores because the airway passage is reduced, so the extra pressure to get air causes the soft palate to vibrate. The more you snore, the more extra cookies, the greater will be the noise of snoring.
Therefore, instead of just treating the husband, I now treat two patients: husband and wife!
Stop the Snoring
Clear up any sinus or nasal condition. When the nose or sinuses are infected or blocked by allergy, the infected material drains to the throat and enlarges throat tissue. This causes airway blockage with resultant snoring. Saline nasal irrigations or pulsed irrigation may be the cure.
If there is evidence of enlarged tonsils and throat swelling, using the Hydro Pulse throat irrigation, can be the answer. That is specifically designed to massage the throat/tonsils without causing gagging.
Another method of reducing throat swelling is called oropharyngeal exercises. Place your tongue hard to the front roof of your mouth, against the teeth, and say the vowels forcibly. Now, put your tongue to the middle of the roof of your mouth and repeat the vowels forcibly. Then, put your tongue as far back as you can and repeat the vowels. Do these 3 steps for 5 minutes three times a day. This is exactly like weight lifting: makes the muscles stronger and gets rid of flab and fat.
The Fifty Cent Cure
It is important to sleep on your side: that way, the tongue falls forward and reduces snoring. To make sure you sleep on your side, sew a used tennis ball to the back of an undershirt. The ball will gently nudge you to sleep on your side.
There is a lot of humor to snoring. But consider: a major share of divorce is due to snoring. When husband or wife don’t get good sleep, there is a change of personality in each, to the negative. Also, 1/3 of auto and industrial accidents are due to sleep apnea.
The Body Changes
To get more air to the brain, the body increases blood pressure.
To increase pressure for air, the diaphragm pushes down harder. This affects the stomach and ends up forcing acid up into the esophagus and throat, called Reflux.
The increase in eating cookies results in weight gain; this is a vicious circle, the more the weight gain, the more the snoring.
Lift the Nasal Tip
When there is a poor nasal airway, try lifting the tip of the nose, gently. Try several positions. When you find one that opens the airway, a good move is to get a 3-inch strip of ½ inch medical grade tape. You can start on the under surface of the nose, and gently lift to the best position, then secure onto the bridge of the nose up to the area of the bridge between the eyes. Only need this for sleep.
To insure a happy marriage, clear any snoring.
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