Snoring may be happening involuntarily but for somebody sharing the bed with the person who is snoring, it can be a harrowing experience altogether. In some instances, it has even lead to the filing of divorce papers by the long suffering spouse.

So, how does snoring happen? In other words, what are the causes of snoring?

Snoring is as a result of the obstruction of air flow - both inhale and exhaust - that happens in the part of air passage, where the back of the throat and tongue meets with the soft palate and uvula. The basic cause of the obstruction is the poorly toned or weakened muscles of throat and tongue, which when in a relaxed state may sway into the airway, blocking the free passage of air during every breath.

The weakening of muscles can happen due to a variety of reasons, a few of which are:

Obesity. The fat deposits around the neck and throat of obese people may exert some amount of pressure on the airway, especially while the person is lying down, eventually blocking the free air flow in and out, leading to snoring.

Alcohol or medications like sleeping pills and anti-histamines causes the muscles in the throat to relax, causing it to block the airway while sleeping.

Smoking and sinusitis can also cause snoring, again due to the very same basic reasons.

Snoring is also found to have a genetic trait, in which case treatments can be less effective.

The size of the pillow is another factor that could induce snoring. That is, if the pillow size is larger, it increases the angle of the neck, sometimes to the extent of obstructing the air passage, especially while lying on the back.

Like in the case of sinusitis, certain allergies can cause congestion in the nose and the airway, leading to high decibel snoring. This effect is more apparent when the person already has the habit of snoring.

To a certain extent, the diet a person follows may also exert a substantial influence on snoring. In this case, the blockage of air passage is caused due to the excessive production of mucus, courtesy fatty food items such as milk and milk products.

To conclude, snoring may appear to be a non-issue, especially if the spouse of the person concerned is very adjusting and cooperative. Of course, one must be prudent enough to realize that snoring is not that simple a problem, and it can possibly lead to other complications such as heart attacks and strokes if left untreated. Hence, on a safer side, consider undergoing a medical checkup if anyone of you is having the habit of snoring in slumber. After all, we all believe that health is wealth, don’t we?

Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles

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Tinnitus, ringing ears or head noise is a strange feeling of ringing, chirping, beating or roaring, which one may think they hear, but without any external source in reality. Some people perceive this sound as a quiet enough background noise, while some others may find it irritating and loud, many time to the extent of drowning all other outside noises. Howeverm it must be understood that Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can be the result of a number of medical conditions. Treating the underlying cause could bring about substantial relief from Tinnitus.

Causes of Tinnitus

Tinnitus is the result of the damages caused to the microscopic hairs that form a fringe on the periphery of the auditory cells. It is the movement of these hairs, according to the pressure variations caused due to an external noise, that prompts the auditory cells to send suitable electric pulses to the brain, which it interprets as sound. When the hairs get damaged, they might move randomly in a state of irritation, resulting in some uncoordinated charge leak to happen to the brain, which it again interprets as noise. But this time, there is no actual source making any noise, but still the person may feel like hearing something.

The damage to the microscopic hairs on the auditory cells can be due to a variety of reasons, the main ones being,

Damage to auditory cells owing to old age (presbycusis). This usually happens to people over 60 yrs of age.

Trauma to the ear. Continuous exposure loud noise can bring about such conditions.

Over use of antibiotics and medicines like Aspirin.

Any injury that affects the inner ear.

Otosclerosis or the stiffening of the middle ear bone can sometimes lead to Tinnitus.

Other than these external causes, Tinnitus can also be resulted from certain disorders happening in the system of blood vessels. These may include:

Atherosclerosis, caused due to the stiffening of blood vessels in the ear. As a result, the blood vessels fail to expand/contract slightly with each heartbeat and hence the blood flow becomes turbulent and the ear starts to pick up the heart beat. This condition may cause due to old age and cholesterol buildup over a period of time.

High BP

Hardening or narrowing of jugular vein or carotid artery may cause turbulent blood flow and hence the head noise.

A-V malformations, occurring at the connection of arteries and veins can be a cause of Tinnitus.

Finally, Tinnitus may be a symptom of a developing neck or head tumor.

Treatments

Generally speaking, there is no definite treatment for Tinnitus, especially if it is the result of old age or damage to the inner ear caused due to overexposure to sound. In such cases, the doctors, at the maximum, could advice the patient on how to reduce the noise or how to cope up with the reality. On the other hand, if the head noise is due to a wax formation or some vascular conditions, it can be fixed by treating the underlying cause. An expert otolaryngologist could help one in this regard. If any particular medication is causing Tinnitus, discontinuing the present drug or switching to a different one must be considered, but again with the advice of your doctor.

In closing, the Tinnitus resulting from narrowing of blood vessels sometimes may be Objective. That is, the head noise in this case may be audible to a doctor as well. Those noises perceivable by the patient only are classified as Subjective Tinnitus.

Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles

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Vertigo is a condition where you experience dizziness with a change in the normal environment. Sometimes feeling a movement in space too is a sign of vertigo. However, it is not the case that all types of dizziness is vertigo; but certainly all vertigo is dizziness.

The true form of vertigo is a severe form of dizziness that results in movement hallucination. Such people suffer from a peripheral vestibular disorder like benign positional vertigo. These conditions in turn lead to tinnitus and hearing loss. With vertigo, you get the impression that you and your surroundings seem to move and you may experience some vomiting, tilting, and a feeling of falling through space. Some cases also lead to eyes jerking back and forth uncontrollably. It commonly lasts for periods ranging from a few days to a few weeks and though these symptoms generally improve, they may persist for a few weeks to a few months.

There are many causes for vertigo, the most common one being the Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo (BPPV). This is a disorder of the inner ear, whose cause is not exactly known. However, it is usually an upper respiratory tract infection or a blow to the head that seems to be responsible for it. This is because it leads to a dislodgement of crystalline structures in the ear’s balance detectors. This form of vertigo is most prevalent, especially when the head moves up and down, or when turning in bed. These attacks generally last 30 to 60 seconds and its occurrence can be reduced by avoiding positions which bring on vertigo.

Vertigo is also caused through labyrinthitis. This is a condition of the inner ear, which is associated with inflammation, maybe nerve deterioration, an upper respiratory infection or may occur independently of other situations. A symptom of various central nervous system disorders like multiple sclerosis, neck injuries, epilepsy, some forms of migraine, cerebellar and brain stem tumors and acoustic neuroma can be vertigo.

There is no common treatment for vertigo. Your physician has to do a complete medical evaluation to find out the true cause, and correspondingly advise the right solution. If some medication is found to cause your condition, lowering the dosage or discontinuing it can eliminate it all together. Some doctors also advise Vestibular rehabilitation therapy, which is the most popular physical therapy used for the treatment of vertigo. Here, dizziness is minimized, balance improved and falls prevented by restoring the normal function of the vestibular system through exercises that make the brain adapt, and compensate the cause of vertigo. Some types of vertigo are also treated through medication while multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease, and tumors may need medication, radiation or surgery.

Jason Rickard is the owner of Your Favourite Shop - Offering White Noise and Relaxation CDs - Visit Hapa Health for more articles

Tags: cds, health, insomnia, issues, noise, relief, sleeping, snore, snoring, trouble, vertigo, whitecds, health, insomnia, issues, noise, relief, sleeping, snore, snoring, trouble, vertigo, white

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