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Looking back at her wedding night six months earlier, Megha Malik is now able to laugh about what she witnessed that first night of so-called wedded bliss. Last November Megha, a petite young lady, married Aamir, her dream guy and a gentle, loving husband. That first night, however, she was in for a bit of a shock as she watched him sleep on their honeymoon bed. Why? Aamir was a snorer. There he was, head lolled back, drool dribbling down the side of his wide open mouth, a train whistle and guttural sounds heaving out of his body. The morning brought no relief, as Aamir's foul breath drove Megha away from his passionate advances to the gym downstairs. Aamir sheepishly admitted to his wife that a cousin once told him that he snored, but he dismissed it as a one-time thing. However, their second night together was a repeat of the first and in the morning, Megha was completely put off and crabby. As far as she was concerned, the honeymoon was already over! It is impossible to sleep when someone is snoring next to you. A snorer can also become the butt of countless jokes and Aamir knew he had to do something quickly to bring Megha back into his arms. Why do people snore? Snoring occurs when the muscles in one's throat relax during sleep ,causing the opening in the air passage to narrow. A person then has to breathe harder through the nostrils, which can cause the soft palate to vibrate, resulting in the loud sound. Snoring can be the result of several reasons: A deviated septum in the nose can make it difficult to breathe at night. Blocked nasal passages due to infections or allergies Persistent enlarged adenoids and tonsils can block air passages, causing snoring in teenagers. Alcohol intake causes throat muscles to relax, which can narrow air passages, making a person breathe hard and noisily.Overweight individuals are more prone to snoring. A study found that overweight teenagers (11-19 years old) had a higher incidence of snoring and this tendency persisted with age, especially in boys. Snorers also tended to have what the authors called 'central fat distribution', ie greater fat deposition in the neck, chest and abdomen areas. In fact, a shirt collar size larger than 17 inches is associated with snoring in men. In Aamir's case, he was 15 pounds overweight, something that wasn't noticeable due to his tall frame. Within four months, however, his weightloss efforts had nipped his snoring in the bud. Cigarette smoking can inflame air passages and disrupt breathing during sleep, which increases ones chances of snoring. Usually, aside from being embarrassing, snoring is harmless. But sometimes it can signal a more serious condition called sleep apnea (especially daily, loud snoring). Snoring, if persistent and becoming progressively worse, should be checked out. In sleep apnea, the nasal passages are so obstructed that a person actually stops breathing for a few seconds causing him/her to wake up gasping for breath. This may happen several times during the night and can leave a person feeling tired and groggy throughout the day. Sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke. How to prevent snoring Snoring usually runs in families and is more common among men and among overweight individuals; it can occur at any age. Here are a few tips to combat it: Sleep on your side, using a firm pillow which raises your head.Get allergies and nasal infections treated promptly.Get treatment for a deviated septum, which may lead to an obstructed nasal passage.Lose weight by eating a well-balanced diet, adequate in calories and rich in vegetables and fruit and by being active. Even a 10 percent weightloss will have benefits. You can start by assessing your diet and health using this tool -- http://nutritionvista.com/Tools/Self-Assessment/Default.aspx -- and seeking professional help to reduce weight sensibly without compromising your health further. Avoid alcohol and sedatives, especially at bedtime, since they can adversely affect your breathing at night and cause snoring.Quit smoking.Use steam inhalation to moisten nasal passages and to clear them up before going to bed. Use a nasal strip to open up the nostrils if you snore through your nose. If, however ,you snore from the base of your tongue, nasal strips may not be of much use.Get tonsils/ adenoids surgically removed if tonsillitis/ enlarged adenoids persist into young adulthood. The choice is yours -- if you are a young snorer and slightly overweight, take the necessary precautions now or you may enter your 30s with another risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Did we forget to mention, you might also find yourself quite alone? Meenakshi Hejmadi is a dietician with www.NutritionVista.com -- visit their website for more health-related features. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh
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