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10 | James Hubbard's My Family Doctor | The Magazine That Makes Housecalls SO YOU WANNA … We often laugh at snoring, but it can have serious impacts on your family life and health. If you're waking up with dark circles under your eyes but your spouse is waking up well rested, snoring could be a problem for you. Fortunately, simple remedies can help some people. 1. losing weight. It's common for adults to complain they've started snoring as they've gotten older. This is sometimes simply because of weight gain. Excess weight puts pressure on the throat that can force the base of the tongue backwards into the airway, where it's subject to quickly moving air. 2. avoiding sedatives at night. Cer- tain sleeping pills and alcohol can decrease muscle tone and make snor- ing worse. 3. Using a sleep positioning aid. By far, snoring is most common when people lie on their back, allowing the base of the tongue to slide back- wards. You can sew a tennis ball into the back of your shirt to keep your- self on your side. Or try a wedge pil- low that tilts the head back. 4. Opening nasal passages. A stopped-up nose causes mouth breathing, which can lead to snoring. If you have congestion—perhaps because of a deviated septum or allergies—strips worn on the nose to open the airway may help. Because these products, such as Breathe Right stop snoring! by bobak ghaheri, M.d. strips, are harm- less and relatively inexpensive, I often have people try these before I operate on them. Simply dealing with allergies can help, too. 5. Getting an oral appliance. A dentist can fash- ion this to help protrude the jaw and move the base of the tongue forward, allowing air to move past. If an obvious anatomical problem is creating turbulence, you can also have a simple surgery, though it may only lessen, not eradicate, the prob- lem. You'll have to talk with your doctor to decide which surgery since snoring can come from numerous locations. In children, large tonsils and ad- enoids are the major cause. In adults, the tonsils can also be a source if something, such as a deviated septum or allergies, is forcing you to mouth breathe. A low palate or uvula is a potential culprit, as well. Most importantly, speak with your physician to decide whether you have simple snoring or sleep apnea—a dangerous disorder in which you stop breathing periodically throughout the night. Heavy snoring is often a sign. Sleep apnea treatment Potential Vibration locations 1. base of the tongue that's slid backwards into the airway 2. soft palate 3. (less common) area of poor muscle tone or flimsy voice- box tissue with CPAP, a "continuous positive airway pressure" machine that helps you keep breathing, often also makes snoring disappear. bobak ghaheRi, M.d., is a board-certified ear, nose and throat surgeon at The Oregon Clinic in Portland.