40 million people snore at night. Snoring is the inability to breathe by nose and breathing through the mouth instead. Researchers at Oregon Health Sciences University are investigating the causes, symptoms and treatments of snoring. Many factors can increase snoring. They include poor muscle tone, a long uvula, a long soft palate, nose blockage, bulky tissues in throat, etc. If snoring problems are mild they can be treated with lifestyle changes, but if they are serious they should be treated by a doctor. Using any nasal devices to open the nasal passage that allow free flow will help reduce snoring and increase the quality of sleep.

A healthy lifestyle, including sufficient exercise and a balanced diet, can reduce snoring. Alcohol and smoking make snoring worse. Tobacco consumption causes snoring, and should be avoided. Any sleeping pills or other sedative measures can cause snoring. Avoid such things unless they are compulsory and are recommended by your doctor. You should also follow a sleeping pattern to avoid snoring. Use heavy pillows that elevate your head than normal. This will help to improve breathing and thereby prevent snoring. Avoid any heavy meals at night. Snoring happens when you are unable to breathe by nose. Mouth breathing will definitely cause snoring. Using any nasal devices to open the nasal passage that allow free flow will help you to reduce snoring. You can get peaceful sleep when you get relief from breathing trouble.

Sometimes more serious medical intervention is necessary. Snorers should seek a doctor's care if their problem is serious or leads to serious sleep apnea. A doctor can Your will decide what treatment is required for snoring after factoring in age, physical health and other conditions. Pregnancy often makes the need to seek doctor's care particularly urgent. Snoring can also be a symptom of another disease. Hypertension, stroke and other diseases including depression and obesity can cause snoring. Often treatment of these other conditions will alleviate the snoring. Using any nasal devices to open the nasal passage that allow free flow will help reduce snoring and increase the quality of sleep.

These are cases where it may not help to use the various nose and mouth pieces available on the market. In these cases surgery is the only option. In many cases it is needed to relieve snoring and helps with sleeping and breathing. A surgeon can enlarge the throat by removing tonsils and some parts of the long soft palate. This will help to clear the nasal passage to assist nose breathing.

Oregon Health and Science University, Portland has done a research in the field of snoring and sleep apnea. Those who snore heavily usually suffer from sleep apnea more. Treatment to sleep apnea will reduce or even eliminate snoring. The Oregon Health and Science University suggests the use of nasal masks to prevent snoring, especially for those who have breathing problems. The nasal mask can provide sufficient air flow through your nose. Surgery may be necessary if these treatments don't work. Before starting medical treatment, your doctor will consider the extent of snoring problem, your age and medical history.