Snoring has already been considered normal especially in the male population. It is no longer a surprise to hear a male relative or friend snoring their way to dreamland. Females are also not spared. Snoring has been reduced to a reason for ridicule.
However, snoring should not be lightly taken because it is one of the symptoms of a sleeping disorder called Sleep Apnea. This disorder is characterized by a slight or short pause in breathing. This abnormal breathing pattern while sleeping could cause serious complications such as heart attack. If you are a constant snorer, make sure to consult a physician to diagnose and treat any underlying disease.
Snoring is a result of the vibration of the soft tissues inside your mouth when you sleep. It could be caused by your tonsils, soft palate or tongue. When you sleep, the said part of your mouth relaxes and block your air passage. As you breathe, these blockage vibrates and results to snoring.
If you are experiencing mild to moderate case of snoring, there’s good news! Eliminating snoring has never been easier. A lot of anti-snoring devices, particularly mouthpieces that are sure to help alleviate your snoring problem. These devices are specially designed to prevent the cause of snoring.
There are two types of mouthpieces that are available to help stop snoring.
Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD)
The Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) looks like a regular mouthpiece, but it is designed to move your lower jaw (mandible) forward. This forward movement of the jaw engages your soft palate to keep it stretched and prevent it from blocking the air passage. The device also helps increase the muscle activity in that area of the mouth.
This device can be custom-made by a dentist upon prescription by a sleep doctor. The prescription mouthpiece is expensive. Fortunately, there are also over-the-counter varieties that can be purchased on the internet. The OTC mouthpiece is much cheaper but works just the same. You can also customize the OTC mouthpiece through the thermoplastic material that will soften when you boil it, and then you set a cast of your teeth on the device for a better fit.
Some people experience sore jaw and drooling after using the product. However, the discomfort subsides after a few days or weeks of using the device.
Tongue Retaining Device (TRD)
The Tongue Retaining Device looks like a suction cup. You wear it at the tips of your tongue to pull it forward while you sleep. It will prevent the tongue from sagging backward and block your airway. Many find this device much easier and comfortable to use since only the tongue is held by this apparatus. However, the device should have a right fit to ensure that it will not fall off while you sleep.
These two are the leading anti-snoring devices. We are also happy to know that there is already ad device that harnesses the power of these two tools in one product. This mouthpiece is called Zyppah. It is like a conventional MAD, but it has a built-in tongue band to add a layer of protection in preventing the tongue from blocking your air passage while you sleep. This product is worth trying and could be the answer to your snoring problem.
