What is Snoring?
Snoring is a common condition that affects over 40 million Americans as they sleep. Snoring is the result of obstructed airflow of breathing during sleep, and the wheezing, gurgling, and snorting noises that accompany snoring are made by the soft palate as air is forced through the oral and nasal cavity at high speeds. Snoring, while not a particularly serious condition itself, is often associated with sleep disorders of a more potentially harmful nature, such as sleep apnea—a condition in which the sufferer stops breathing for up to 90 seconds. Other conditions and activities that may cause snoring are obesity, asthma, smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating a poor diet. If left untreated, snoring may create a greater risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
How can I treat Snoring?
Traditional Chinese medicine considers snoring to be the result of dampness and energy stagnation. Treatment focuses on dispelling the dampness and unblocking the energy through a treatment plan that includes a wholesome diet rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Preferred foods for preventing snoring include quinoa, brown rice, yams, beets, carrots, spinach, broccoli, papaya, mangoes, citrus fruits such as limes and grapefruits, black mushrooms, ginger, and chrysanthemum flowers. Other remedies include gargling with warm salt water and drinking green and chamomile teas. Recommended exercise includes 30-minute walks and practicing either tai chi or qi gong.
What should I avoid in my lifestyle for Snoring?
It is important to avoid foods that produce mucous and dampness, including cold and raw foods, oily and greasy foods, dairy products, white flour and sugar, soft drinks, wheat, chocolate, shellfish, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Other things to avoid are evening snacks, alcohol, antihistamines, stress, and lack of sleep.
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