Q: Is there a way to stop snoring or reduce the loudness of snoring? My partner’s snoring stops him from getting enough sleep, and the problem persists in any sleeping position (back, side, stomach). He is a little overweight, but he still snored when he wasn’t overweight.
A: Snoring is just a symptom, and there is always a problem behind it. The most likely cause of his problem can be sleep apnea. The cause for this can be an obstruction in his airway, either in nose, throat or lower down. This can be figured out only by sleep study.
Once identified, the cause can be corrected by many non-surgical and surgical interventions. Machines like CPAP and BiPAP can be provided to him. Once he gets rid of this he will be get rid of his tiredness and sleep problems too and will feel much more energetic. This will save him from risks of heart and lung diseases too, so it’s vital to visit a sleep specialist to get all this checked out.
Before the visit, there are more steps to try:
- Avoidance of alcohol and smoking is essential.
- He can use saline nasal drops in his nose at night and it can help with his problem provided it is related to nose.
- Exercising regularly at least 30 min will help too.
- He should get nasal strips from pharmacy and they can help. They work by opening up the nasal passages to enhance breathing and relieve snoring.
- Lastly he can use OTC xylometazoline nasal spray at night only before sleep to see if it helps.
I am hopeful that my suggestions will help you but finally there is a need to see a sleep specialist. I wish him good luck that he gets well soon.
— Answer from Dr. Hasan, physician on JustAnswer.
Daily Answer is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided by a Expert on JustAnswer.
