Ways to heal your snoring partner

Many people tend to lose their sleep because of their other half's consistent snoring but simple changes in the lifestyle can potentially help them get rid of this quandary, a new study has suggested. There are several risks linked to the snorer's health, too, like high blood pressure, diabetes and even stroke. "In the majority of cases, simple lifestyle changes can have a big impact," the Daily Mail quoted Myles Black, an ENT surgeon at East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust as saying. Different types of snoring require different ways to tackle them, like for nasal snorers, breathing right nasal dilator strips - special plasters you put on the outside of the nose which stretch the nostrils open - can provide extra external support to improve airflow. "In extreme cases we can perform surgery to insert small rods, or silver rings, which keep the airways open." "Using a mattress cover and man-made fibres for duvets and pillows can eliminate dust and house mites, a common cause of nasal congestion, and using nasal steroid sprays for a minimum of two months can help." For people who are prone to tongue snoring, if their tongue is falling too far back, a bespoke mandibular advancement device (MAD) has been shown to be effective in a majority of users. This is in effect a plastic mouth guard that pulls the lower jaw and in turn, the tongue forward to open the airways. A low-tech solution to prevent the tongue falling into the back of the throat is sewing a tennis ball into the back of your pyjamas. 'This simply prevents you sleeping on your back,' he said. Losing weight and avoiding night-caps and smoking (which irritates the throat and nasal linings) are also important. Mouth snoring can be prevented by maintaining a healthy body mass index, limiting alcohol intake and stopping smoking. These tighten the neck muscles and pull up any soft tissue responsible for the noisy vibrations. "The surgical solution I advocate in this situation is pillar implants that support the palate," said Douglas Keay, an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) surgeon. These plastic rods are inserted into the soft, floppy part of the palate in a 15-minute procedure. Obstructive sleep apnoea, which occurs as a result of narrowing of the airways can also cause snoring. "One of the most effective therapies is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a mask worn at night where air is pumped continuously to keep the airways open," said Mr Al-Ayoubi.