3 ways to... STOP SNORING

PREVENT: Snoring is the noise caused by the vibration of the soft palate and tissue in the mouth, nose or throat.

It can be hereditary, though alcohol increases chances of snoring, as it relaxes the muscles and increases the narrowing of the airways.

Sedatives and some antidepressants can have a similar effect to alcohol on the muscles. Obesity can also raise the risk. People with large amounts of fat around the neck, and with a circumference of more than 17 inches, tend to snore.

TREAT: Though incurable, snoring can be successfully controlled. Sleep on your side, as sleeping on your back causes the tongue and excess fatty tissue under your chin to relax, squashing the airways.

Surgery is only suitable for some cases of snoring and is only recommended as a last resort if snoring has an adverse impact on health or quality of life, and all other treatments have failed.

Patients can be left with side effects such as a dry mouth, long-term voice changes and a partial loss of taste.

FIRST STEP: Download a ‘stop snoring’ app. The one recommended by the Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Clinic of Ireland – online at snoring.ie – explains the causes of snoring and features a physician-developed programme of breathing exercises to help relieve the symptoms with detailed instruction videos.