Researchers claim that a new treatment can help people stop snoring by forcing people to breathe through their nose. Aside from addressing the problem of snoring, this device also helps cure sleep apnea.
In a new study that involved 30 patients, a device that sticks to the outside of the mouth proved to tackle snoring. Scientists believe that this new treatment can encourage patients to breathe through their noses, instead of their mouths, to cure the problem of snoring.
In theory, snoring is not normal since narrowed airways cause an irregularity in breathing. The idea behind the concept suggests that breathing through the mouth is one of the main causes of sleep apnea and snoring.
When people sleep with their mouths open, incoming cold air hits the back of the throat at high speeds. The process can force the soft tissue at the back of the throat to vibrate and constrict.
When people breathe through their nose, the air being breathed is warmed up through the nasal passageway. When the air comes into contact with the back of the throat, the combination is not as turbulent, reducing the effects of both snoring and sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is where tissues located at the back of the throat collapse repeatedly at night resulting to blocked airways. Habitual and loud snoring is a key symptom of sleep apnea, according to Huffington Post.
Sleep apnea affects 12 to 18 million people in the U.S. The condition forces people to stop breathing for nearly 10 seconds at a time as it also deprived the body of oxygen, according to Daily Mail.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to long-term problems such at heart failure, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction or tumor growth. While the gold standard for sleep apnea treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, many users abandon the treatment due to the bulky and unbearable treatment.
In a similar study completed last year at National Taiwan University, patients had their mouths sealed while sleeping using a Varnum mouthpiece. The results showed a significant reduction in the frequency of apnea that occurred per hour. In addition, patients also had quieter snores, which indicated less severe sleep apnea.
