Most of us snore and most of us consider snoring little more than an inconvenience. Yet, the truth is that snoring can cause serious social and health problems.
We snore when our breathing passage is temporarily blocked. This can happen due to a number of factors including nasal blockage, large adenoid and tonsil, enlarged soft palate and uvula, large tongue base etc. Obesity, certain drugs like sedatives, alcohol, tobacco, or smoking make things worse.
Snoring problems can prove to be a major irritant to other people sleeping in the same room. It also affects your quality of sleep because your body has to work extra hard to get a sufficient supply of oxygen, and exhale carbon dioxide. Snoring can also lead to a number of health problems such as sleep apnea, headaches, hypertension, and heart disease and stroke.
Snoring can kill you
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) occurs in loud snorers… Muscles in the back of the throat and tongue relax, and our airway becomes blocked. As a result, oxygen is not taken in and carbon dioxide in the blood builds to dangerous levels. It is like pressing a pillow over someone\’s face.”
As a result, sleep apnea can cause a long list of health problems:
and Chronic fatigue
and Hypertension
and Weight gain
and Heart attacks
and Strokes
and Depression
and Poor concentration
and Memory loss
Common Treatment options
One -CPAP (It is a machine which forces air into your lungs thru a face mask strapped on your head, like a ventilator). A second option is surgery in which surgeon cut away or otherwise shrink tissues in the nose and throat causing blockage.
There are many things patent can help themselves -Loosing weight, avoiding sleeping on your back, consuming a healthy diet, and exercises for snoring.
Can Yoga cure your snoring and sleep apnea?
No it cannot cure it. But it can help reduce the symptoms to some extent. Proper breathing and exercises improves the muscle tone in the throat and air passages, but it should be done in proper way under the guidance of a yoga teacher. There are several Yoga postures, breathing techniques which will help you a lot. The following is one of them-
Ujjayi Pranayama: Pranayama is a term that refers to the breathing techniques that are taught as a part of yoga. Ujjayi Pranayama, or the Hissing Breath, increases the capacity of your lungs and removes any blockages in your throat. It is a good exercise for snorers.
To perform this breathing exercise, sit down in the Padma Asana (Lotus Pose). Start to breathe deeply through your nostrils and close your eyes, until your body enters a state of calm. Now inhale forcefully through both the nostrils, contracting your neck muscles to produce a low, throbbing sound.
Hold this inhaled breath for as long as you can. Now close one of your nostrils with your fingers and slowly exhale through the other nostril. Repeat this process with the other nostril. This breathing exercise for snoring should be performed at least three to five times every day.
