Functions of the nose in normal breathing

Most of us, when at rest, breathe through our nose. It’s ideally the proper way since less effort is exerted and it is involuntary. Our nose acts as a filter, heater, and humidifier for incoming air. When breathing through our mouth however, the previous modifications to the air occur less as they enter our lungs. Our lungs are still capable of inhaling colder, drier, and dirtier hair; but you may notice that breathing really cold, dry, and dirty air can be uncomfortable. So naturally, our bodies prefer to breathe through our nose whenever possible.

The nasal cavity is made up of two parallel passages, one on each side. These passages are separated by the septum, the wall in their middle. It is a relatively flat wall of cartilage, lining tissue, and bone. On the lateral side of the passages, there are three nasal turbinates, which are long cylindrical-shaped structures lying parallel to the floor of the nose. The turbinates in the nose contains plenty of small blood vessels that regulates blood flows as its functions. When the blood vessels in the turbinate increases in size, the whole turbinate swells as well, this results to decrease in airflow. It is a vice versa process.

Everyone has a nasal cycle that allows each side of the nostrils to do most of the work 2-6 hours each time. For example, when the right turbinate is swollen, the left nasal passage will mostly do the work. When the left sides swell, it will shift the work to the right side. This cycle can be observed whenever a cold occurs and a stuffy nose is present. They can also react to allergic reactions or external stimuli, such as dirt or cold air.  

Six Ways To Stop Snoring

Read on for the six treatments that can give you- as well as your partner- a good night’s rest!

A wheezing whistle or even a thunderous roar, snoring comes in varying sounds and manners, all of which prove to be irritating. A third of women in the UK and almost half of the men there suffer from snoring. Their partners suffer, too, with broken sleep caused by the incessant noise of their partner’s snoring.

Snoring is mainly caused by a turbulent airflow which causes the tissues in our mouth to vibrate. The vibration creates a sound, usually accompanied by grunting and snorting, and often gets worse with age.

Cutting down on alcohol, exercising and losing weight, and quitting smoking can help but currently, there is no single solution to stopping snoring. Read on for six treatments that you can probably try and, hopefully, cure your snoring problem.

Nasal strips and dilators

They are sticky plasters that you can place on your nostrils to help them open up. These are plastic devices that prevent the nostrils from collapsing and allows more air to enter.

Best for those who are snoring mildly caused by their blocked nose

Try the Breathing Relief Nasal Dilator from breathingrelief.com for only £20

Rinses and sprays

Designed to sooth inflammation, these remedies reduce stuffiness and/or clear up the nasal passages. Some rinse and sprays target the throat while others the tissues of the nose.

Best for those snoring caused by allergic rhinitis or nasal congestion

Try the Nytol Anti-Snoring Spray, which contains seaweed-based carrageenan and lubricating oils. Try them at Boots for only £12.99

Mouth Shields

These are molded devices fitted inside the mouth to keep it shut while we sleep.

Best for those who have a problem snoring when they sleep with their mouth open

Try Somni Snore Guard for only £31, from britishsnoring.co.uk.

Mandibular advancement devices

This is arguably one of the best anti-snoring solutions in the market today. It’s designed to push your lower jaw and tongue forward so as not to be an obstruction to your mouth when breathing. This allows you to intake more air and much more freely when worn.

For more information please visit www.snorebore.com/ who provide snoring solutions.