My name is Marilyn Baker, and I have horrible allergies. I’m 42 years old and have been suffering from allergies since I was a child. I have seasonal and environmental allergies. Allergies plague me year round. When I was young, my parents even moved to a dryer area in the hope of helping me. Over the past eight years, I have done extensive research both through doctors and online. I have managed to come up with some combinations that have helped me a great deal. My allergies aren’t gone, but they have become manageable. I do have to have allergy shots, but I also use some natural remedies. I am happy to be able to share my findings with you here on my blog. I hope you can find some of this of value.
Snoring can make you the brunt of many jokes, but it's no laughing matter. It can have a very negative impact on your health and relationships, which is why you always want to take reports of your snoring seriously. There are many things that can cause snoring, including sleep apnea and oral health issues, but here are two simple mistakes you're making in your bedroom that are contributing to the problem.
Letting Your Pets Sleep on the Bed
It's nice having your pets sleep next to you at night, especially if you are single and live alone. Unfortunately, your canine or feline friend may be contributing to your snoring. This is because you may actually have a mild allergy to your pet's dander, which are skin cells shed by animals with fur.
Inhaling this dander can trigger an immune reaction in susceptible people. Essentially, the immune system mistakes the dander for germs and viruses and starts attack. In people with full-blown allergies, this can result in classic allergy symptoms, such as itchy and watery eyes, coughing, sneezing, and wheezing.
In people with mild allergies, however, the only symptom may be a stuffy or runny nose. The excess phlegm will typically block nasal passage, resulting in snoring.
It's easy to test this theory, though your pet friend may not like it. Don't let your pet sleep in your room for a week or two. Be sure to wash all of your bedding and clean your bedroom really well to eliminate as much pet dander as possible. If you find you snore less or not at all, then the dander is the culprit and you'll have to decide whether to let your dog or cat back in the bedroom or permanently keep him or her out.
Not Cleaning Your Bedding Regularly
Another issue that may be causing your snoring problems is not washing your pillows or changing your bedding on a regular basis. Over time, dust mites accumulate on your bedding. Like with pet dander, dust mites can cause an allergic reaction when inhaled, which leads to a number of bodily changes that results in snoring (e.g. stuffy nose). You can often tell dust mites are the problem if you stay in a different location with high levels of bed hygiene (e.g. hotel) and your snoring abates.
There's nothing you can do to prevent dust mites from invading your bedroom. However, you can keep their numbers down to a minimum by exchanging linens at least once per week, washing comforters and blankets regularly, and throwing your pillows in the dryer on high heat every once in a while. This will minimize the dust mite population and decrease your snoring as a result.
For more information about snoring treatments to alleviate your condition, contact a healthcare provider.
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