Stop Snoring with BACK OFF™

Here is a little demonstrative video we put together to show how the BACK OFF works.

Snoring may cause loss of  good sleep which can lead to daytime sleepiness, automobile accidents, irritability, inability to concentrate, poor work performance, and a decrease in sexual desire and function. Recent studies have also shown that snoring is associated with increases in:

• strokes (due to hardening of the arteries, called atherosclerosis)
• heart attacks
• high blood pressure (hypertension)
• diabetes

Snoring is often associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which is a serious medical condition associated with decreases in the amount of oxygen  the body—especially the brain—gets during sleep.

Perhaps the most frequent harm snoring produces is a strain on interpersonal relationships. Bed partners of loud snorers frequently move to different rooms during the night to get away from the snoring noise. This has been shown to strain relationships and produce emotional and psychological problems, all of which improve when the snoring is successfully treated.

The goal of any snoring treatment is to open up the obstructed air passageways in the mouth, throat and nose. Certain lifestyle changes can  reduce or eliminate snoring; these include:

• weight loss (gets rid of excess fat in the throat)
• no alcohol, especially after dinner (alcohol relaxes throat muscles causing more airway obstruction especially during deep sleep)
• stop smoking (smoking weakens throat muscles and produces increased secretions in the throat)
• avoid sleep medications (they also relax throat muscles which then collapse more easily during sleep)
• use nasal decongestants or anti-allergy medications; treat sinusitis
• sleep on a side—NOT ON YOUR BACK!  More than 50-60% of snorers have “positional snoring”—snoring when they sleep on their backs but not when they sleep on their sides. Positional therapy (preventing the snorer from sleeping on the back) has been scientifically shown to decrease or eliminate snoring. 

Numerous mouth devices, sprays, pills, strips, clips and clothing are advertised for the treatment of snoring. Most have not been medically or scientifically studied. Many are inconvenient, expensive and ineffective. Only “positional therapy” has been shown in medical studies to be effective.

Snoring occurs when there is obstruction to airflow through the mouth and nose and the obstructed air causes the walls of the throat to vibrate; the vibrations make the snoring sound. There are numerous causes of airflow obstruction during sleep including:

• weakness or relaxation of the muscles of the throat and tongue, especially during deep sleep. Alcohol and sleeping pills also cause muscle relaxation.
• abnormal positioning of the jaw
• long uvula or soft palate
• large tonsils and/or adenoids
• excessive tissue, especially fat, in the throat
• blockage of the nasal passageways due to allergies, sinus infections, or deformities
• sleeping on the back (“positional snoring”)

Snoring is very common. More than 30% of adults over 30 years of age snore; this increases to nearly 50 % of middle-aged people.