The Truth Behind Bottled Water

Bottled water generally can be relied upon to be safe from bacteria and free of chlorine.
Many consumers believe that bottled waters are of higher quality than tap water, although it is not generally true. Many bottled waters are only processed tap water, and their quality varies widely depending on the quality of the local water and the type of filtration used.

Buying “pure” water in a plastic bottle defeats the purpose, because the plastic quickly leaches into the water. Federal and state regulations for bottled water are confusing and changeable; and some bottled waters are even exempt from regulation! Fluoride levels in some brands were five times higher than those in tap water. High pollutant levels are allowed in bottled water based on an industry-wide assumption that bottled waters are consumed as a beverage – a health conscious alternative to an alcoholic beverage or soda pop and not as the primary source of drinking water.

There are many excellent brands of bottled water on the market today that can be enjoyed as a refreshing beverage even if not as a regular source of drinking water. Bottled water is defined by the Food and Drug Administration as simply “water that is sealed in bottles or other containers and intended for human consumption.” Federal regulations require that bottled waters marketed across state lines meet federal standards for drinking water. Those bottled waters sold only within individual states need to meet only state requirements, which can vary from federal standards.

The purity of bottled water is controlled under the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (mineral waters and soda waters specifically are exempt and thus are not regulated at all). Legally accepted sources for bottled water are wells, springs, and public water right from the tap. No requirements specify that the source of the water or any treatment it has undergone be listed on the label, but if any information is given at all, it must be truthful and not misleading. Manufacturers have an excellent selling point in telling if the water has come from a well or a spring, so if the source of the water is not revealed, chances are the water is treated tap water.

Bottled waters are divided into two types: still (without bubbles) and sparkling (with bubbles). Even though there are no state or federal regulations for the labeling of bottled-water containers, the labels do use certain generalized descriptive terms. Drinking water is tap or well water processed in some way before bottling while spring water is water that emerges from the earth’s surface under its own pressure, sometimes through a pipe.

Water in bottles labeled “Spring water” must come from a spring; “Natural spring water,” unlike plain spring water, may not be processed in any way before it goes into the bottle. Beware of companies with the word “spring” in the company name rather than in the name of the product, or companies referring to the product as “spring-fresh,” “springlike,” or “spring-pure.” Do not mistakenly assume that this water is from a spring.

Mineral water is water containing a legally specified level of minerals. “Natural mineral water” is sparkling or still water, usually from a spring, which contains only the naturally occurring minerals. Regular “mineral water” may have had minerals added or removed.

Sparkling water is water that contains bubbles made by carbon dioxide gas. “Naturally sparkling” water contains the bubbles when it is underground; when the water is drawn from the spring, the natural carbon dioxide is removed separately and reinjected during bottling. Some still waters also are carbonated, with either natural or manufactured carbon dioxide.

Club sodas and seltzer water are not controlled by federal regulations. Both are merely filtered and carbonated tap water; club soda also contains added mineral salts. The quality of these waters will differ greatly, depending on the local water and the method of filtration used.

The Miracle Of Honey

Honey is nature’s healthiest candy. But what makes honey so valuable? Apart from dextrose and fructose, which go straight into the blood stream without putting a strain on the digestive organs, we must take into consideration valuable traces of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are contained in honey. Natural remedies alleviate coughs and colds faster when taken along with honey. Grated horseradish mixed with honey is a wonderful natural antibiotic with no hidden dangers and is good, especially for strained vocal cords and hoarseness.

The production of honey is in itself a miracle. In spite of its tireless work a whole summer long, the little bee can contribute only half a teaspoonful, but the united work of the entire bee colony makes success possible. All bees produce only good honey. If we happen to get some that is of poor quality, the problem lies in its treatment. Careless, unprofessional or unclean treatment is bad for honey and impairs its basically good quality. For example, honey should never be heated over 40 degrees Celsius. Nor should wild honeycombs be pressed out, because dead larvae might still be in them.

Various kinds of honey can differ very much one from the other. It depends on the flowers the bees feed on. That is why there are so many varieties of honey on the market, including orange blossom honey, linden blossom, eucalyptus, thyme, lavender, rosemary, acacia, and chestnut blossom honey. We differentiate especially between light-colored blossom honey and dark pine tree honey. Wherever mono-culture is practiced (offering the bees large fields of one kind of plant), a certain type of honey will be produced.

Honey is the best carbohydrate and the body is able to assimilate it very easily. Experience points to honey as increasing the effect of all natural remedies that are intended to soothe the respiratory organs. If you want to take advantage of this, just take the indicated number of drops of a natural remedy with a teaspoon of honey or in warm water sweetened with honey. There is a twofold benefit in sipping honey water together with the remedy. Medicines taken with honey definitely work faster and are stronger in relieving colds and catarrh, the bronchials or the lungs.

Tea made with lemon balm, orange blossom, hops, valerian, avena sativa, passiflora, is better if sweetened with honey. When added to herbal tea, honey can give good results by promoting and maintaining undisturbed sleep. For old, slowly healing wounds, mix a tenth of horseradish with honey, using either finely grated horseradish or the fresh juice or tincture. Apply this tried and proven natural remedy to the wound. The effect is astounding.

Honey also brings relief for painful arthritis and gout. Pour one teaspoon of comfrey tincture on four tablespoons of honey. After thoroughly mixing, put the ointment in a cup heated in a bain-marie. Soak a cloth folded three or four times in this hot honey preparation and apply it where the pain is worst, the hands, elbows, knees or feet. It is best done in the evening, leaving the pack overnight. For the heat to retain longer, a bag with heated cherry stones can be put on top. Also effective is using a bag filled with hot and moist hayflower or chamomile, wrapped around with a warm cloth. This method has been a tremendous help to a number of people who were able to walk again or to move their hands without pain.

Lead Poisoning: A Health Threat That Could Be Hurting You & Your Loved Ones

While adults can generally tolerate the low levels of lead that may be present in our homes, top officials in our federal government are now calling lead poisoning the nation’s primary environmental threat to children. According to the EPA, one out of nine children under age six has enough lead in his blood for it to be a health problem.

Lead is a naturally occurring metallic element whose toxicity is well established. It is a cumulative poison, so while one small exposure may not seem harmful, repeated exposures can build up over time. Because lead is an element, it never decomposes into another substance that might be more easily tolerated, and it never leaves your body. Damage from consistent lead exposure is usually irreversible.

Early symptoms of lead poisoning include abdominal pains, loss of appetite, constipation, muscle pains and weakness, irritability, a metallic taste in the mouth, excessive thirst, nausea and vomiting, headache, insomnia, depression, and lethargy. Repeated low-level exposure has been found to produce anemia, stomach ailments, and permanent neuropsychological defects and behavior disorders in children, including noticeable learning difficulties, poor scores on IQ and development tests, and short attention spans. In very high doses, lead can cause brain damage, nervous system disorders, and death, although such heavy poisoning is unlikely from exposure around your home. There is no safe level for lead.

The household lead exposure people generally think of first is caused by lead-based paints. Manufacturers removed much of the lead from paint in the 1950s, and the federal government banned lead in paint altogether in 1978. While this means we don’t have to worry about lead in a new can of paint, there is still great concern about the lead that is already on the walls in millions of homes across America. 75% of all private housing built before 1980 has some lead paint. Since lead was a standard ingredient in paint at that time, lead-painted walls may be found in houses in all older neighborhoods, whether well-to-do or poor.

Many children get lead poisoning not from eating paint chips, but rather from breathing fine paint dust stirred up by the opening and closing of windows with lead-painted window frames, or from the removal or disturbance of old paint during renovations. It can be found on the exterior and interior of houses – on walls, window and door trims, railings, baseboards, and radiators.

It takes very little lead to cause lead poisoning. The Centers for Disease Control has set ten micrograms per deciliter as the level above which some sort of action should be taken. A child can reach lead/blood levels of three times that amount by ingesting lead equivalent to one granule of sugar a day, which could easily happen if a child touches a windowsill and sucks his thumb on a regular basis.

Tap water is another source of lead. Lead in water causes 10 to 20% of overall childhood lead exposure. If your water comes from a well, travels through old lead-soldered pipes, or is known to be very corrosive, you may have cause for concern.

The glaze on ceramic and pottery dishware can also cause significant lead exposure. Lead is used to create bright colors and mask deficiencies in the pottery and has been known to be a problem, especially in imported pieces. The federal government prohibits the sale of dinnerware that releases lead in amounts greater than 2,000 parts per billion, which prevents direct cases of lead poisoning. However, in 1986, the state of California passed legislation requiring written warnings on any dishware that releases lead in amounts greater than 224 ppb, based on the potential longterm health risk to young children and developing fetuses.

Pregnant women should be especially careful during pregnancy, as developing fetuses are the most vulnerable. Most important, do not start to strip paint or wallpaper to prepare the new nursery now if there is any chance that old layers of lead paint may lurk below.

Children are most likely to get lead poisoning between the ages of six months and six years, when lead dust from carpeting, toys, or the floor can most easily get in their mouths and lungs. Your doctor can order a blood-lead test for your child if you suspect your child has been contaminated.

If you live in a house or apartment built before 1980, inspect your building carefully for signs of paint chips or dust. Look at windowsills, baseboards, and especially door frames, where friction can grind up paint layers. To remove dust, damp-mop or wipe with a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP), which can be purchased at paint or hardware stores. As with asbestos, it is better to leave lead paint in place if intact rather than create a hazard by disturbing it. But if you find you have a major problem that requires removal, hire a qualified contractor. Complete removal might cost thousands of dollars, but you can significantly reduce the hazard by replacing doors, window frames, or contaminated carpeting, or by putting up wallpaper or paneling.

To remove lead from drinking water, you will need a reverse osmosis system or distiller. Inexpensive carbon filters will not remove lead . Before you buy ceramic or pottery dinnerware, ask about the lead used in glazes. Lead releases can vary from style to style from a single manufacturer, so be specific. When in doubt, don’t buy it.

Decreasing your risk of skin cancer

While cancer is a disease that we cannot fully anticipate, there are some risk factors that weigh into a chance of a person developing skin cancer. Monitoring of the general patterns of the population’s skin cancer development has lead to a more accurate means of discovering a person’s risk. While some people with many risk factors will never develop the disease, it is helpful to know the chance that you stand.
Skin cancer represents the most commonly occurring cancer in the United States, and the number of skin cancer diagnoses increases by the year. While the number of deaths caused by skin cancer is low, it is important to treat the disease early to avoid complications. Almost 100% of all skin cancer cases are curable if treated in an early stage.
The main reason that people get skin cancer is excessive exposure of ultra-violet rays to the skin. Ostensibly, excessive exposure to the sun’s rays is the main factor that can cause the disease to develop. However, with the advent of tanning beds and sun lamps, a new risk is formed by those who wish to have a tanned appearance. The greatest risk of skin cancer is faced by those who have a light complexion and often get freckles. Usually, this is a risk factor for those with red hair or blonde hair. Skin cancer is most often diagnosed after age 50, but the damage that ultra-violet rays does to your body begins at an early age, so it is important to keep your tan in moderation. When you are going to the beach, it is important that you wear sun screen. Choose a wide-spectrum sun screen with a high SPF value to ensure that your body is getting the protection that it needs. If you’ve been out for a long time and the sun screen begins to wear off, it is important to reapply. Also, studies have shown that the sun’s rays are most dangerous between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM, so avoid these times for catching rays if at all possible. Another recommendation for those who are outside often is to wear clothes that provide protection from the sun. A tight weaving pattern, loose-fitting clothes, and dark colors are all aspects of proper clothing to wear when trying to avoid UV damage.
In addition to the risks represented by exposure to the sun and complexion type, it is also important to research whether or not skin cancer has occurred in members of your family. A full 1 in 10 patients that are diagnosed with skin cancer also have a close relative who was diagnosed with the disease.
While following these risk-decreasing habits, it is also important to ensure that you regularly check your body for the possibility of skin cancer. At least every three months, you should fully examine your body and note all differences in your skin’s appearance. The extended growth of moles, and bumps and interruptions in your skin can be cause for concern when it comes to this disease.

Moles and melanoma what you need to know

Skin cancer is one of the most commonly occurring diseases in America, and few realize how to know when there is a problem with their skin that they need to address with a doctor. In this article, we’ll discuss the prevalence of moles when it comes to detecting melanoma.

To understand more about moles when it comes to melanoma, it helps to know exactly what a mole is. Moles are actually benign growths of melanocytes, which are ‘color’ cells that are present in the skin. Most moles occur within the first year of life, and the number of moles a person has often peaks when they are between 20 and 30. In youths who face increased amounts of sun exposure, more moles are known to be present. The more a child is sunburned, the greater occurrence of moles they tend to have. As a matter of fact, one of the best indicators of a persons chance for developing malignant melanoma is counting the number of moles present on their body. To get a basic idea of the number of moles on a person’s body, counting the number of moles on the arm is commonly used as an indicator. Moles may grow throughout a persons lifespan, usually before age twenty, and while important to note, the mere growth of a mole does not mean that a person will develop melanoma.

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. There are three; squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma. Malignant melanoma is the only type of skin cancer that represents a threat to other parts of the body due to its capability of spreading outside of the area of the tumor. For that reason, malignant melanoma is the most likely type of skin cancer to result in death. When skin cancer is detected early, even melanoma diagnoses are often fully treatable. While moles do not need to be present for malignant melanoma to occur, it is important to keep a watchful eye on the moles on your body to ensure that cancer isn’t present.

When checking the moles of your body for the possibility of skin cancer, there are many factors to consider. First, you should note any asymmetry that occurs in your moles. If any of the following symptoms are noted with your moles, it’s important to talk to a doctor to ensure that any problems that show up can be taken care of before they grow to be a more serious issue. Moles tend to grow uniformly and evenly, and when one area of the mole begins to grow faster than the others, a problem may be present. It’s also important to note the appearance of the border of the mole; they should be uniform and defined. If the borders of one of your moles begins to become poorly defined, hazy, or abnormal, it’s important to get it checked out. If one of your moles begins to change in color, with red, gray, or white pigments present, you should consult your physician. Finally, if your mole grows in size to be bigger than one centimeter or starts a sudden growth spurt after age 20, you should speak to a doctor. It’s important to keep an eye on your own body; 50 percent of all skin cancer cases are found via a self examination.

Common Medical Testing to Determine Eczema

When the symptoms of eczema show themselves on your skin, it is important to schedule a visit with the doctor to determine what the problem is. Common medical testing will help to identify whether your skin condition is eczema or something else. An initial diagnosis of eczema is usually made based on what the skin looks like. Certain areas of the body are considered to be “eczema sensitive areas” such as the face, skin creases and the chest. If skin in these areas of the body is red, dry, itchy or swollen this may lead doctors to believe that eczema is the cause.

Doctors will discuss many other aspects of a patient’s life in order to form a better idea of what is going on. Other items that need to be considered are a patient’s family history (and other allergic related diseases in the family such as asthma or hay fever), lifestyle, dietary habits, tendency towards certain allergies (or any or all known allergies), prescription drugs the patient is currently taking and any chemicals or otherwise hazardous materials that the patient is exposed to either in his/her home environment or place of work. Other necessary pieces of information a patient should share with his or her physician include when the skin condition first made its appearance; all of the signs and symptoms of the condition, including itching or recurrent redness and inflammation; circumstances under which the skin condition is made worse, such as a high level of stress, excessive sweating and/or very dry air and a thorough medical history.

If a doctor suspects that a skin flare-up is due to an allergen then he or she will call for a blood test to check for any antibodies in the blood as well as the quantity of a variety of kinds of cells. If eczema is the cause of the symptoms, then the patient’s blood will show a raised “IgE” (or an eosinophilia). Sometimes the blood also needs to undergo a test known as a Radioallergosorbent Test (or RAST) or a Paper Radioimmunosorbent Test (PRIST). This test is done by mixing the blood separately with a variety of different allergens and then the level of the antibodies are measured carefully. Blood that is shown to have a great deal of antibodies in it means that there is definitely an allergy to a certain thing.

Some physicians will order a special test known as a skin patch test. In this case when something is suspected to be the source of the problem (i.e. an irritant to the skin) it is pressed to the skin and then held there with an adhesive patch. Another adhesive patch that is devoid of anything on it is also applied as a source of comparison. The irritant patch is left in place for anywhere from one day to two days. After that period of time it is taken away and the skin is examined. If the skin shows to be red, itchy and/or inflamed then more than likely it is the said irritant that the patient is allergic to.

On occasion a doctor will decided that the patient must have a skin lesion biopsy. This is when a small part of the skin is removed and then is sent to a lab to be viewed under a microscope. Biopsies as well as blood are not undertaken in every case where eczema is suspected. However they are often done when the symptoms are severe or out of the ordinary.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer

Early breast cancer does not have any symptoms nor is it painful. Most breast cancer is discovered before the symptoms become present either by the find of an abnormality on a mammography or by feeling a lump in the breast. Some women notice a lump under the arm or above the collar bone which does not go away. There are other symptoms which may become present such as discharge from the breast, inversion of the nipple or changes to the skin which overlies the breast.

Most lumps that are found in the breast are not cancerous. However, they all need to be checked and evaluated by a doctor.

Although rarely a symptom of cancer, discharge from the breast is a common problem. It is more concerning if the discharge is occurring in one breast and/or has a blood in it. All breast discharge should be checked out by a doctor. It is very common for normal nipples to be inverted although if they do this as a new development, there is cause for concern and this should also be discussed with your doctor.

If breast cancer is present, there may also be changes to the skin on the breast such as redness, texture changes or puckering. Skin diseases can also cause these changes so don’t be too alarmed. However you should get these types of changes checked out, as they may also be associated with breast cancer.

Breast cancer can develop over a period of months or years. Once it has been identified, treatment should be given with some urgency due to the fact that it is difficult to treat if the cancer spreads from the breast to other parts of the body. This is known as metastastic spread.

You should look out for the following and contact your healthcare provider if you:
find a lump in your breast, under your arm or above the collar bone that
* stays for longer than a week
* develop discharge from your breast
* notice a new development in your nipple such as a sudden inversion
* Notice new skin changes in your breast.

Swelling or redness in your breast may be an indication of an infection in the breast tissue. An infection should also be treated promptly so you should see your healthcare provider immediately. You should also visit your nearest healthcare provider if you notice swelling, redness or severe pain in your breast under your shoulder or under your armpit.

Should an abnormality be found on a mammogram, you should ensure that an appointment is made immediately for further evaluation with your healthcare provider to provide you with the comfort of an all clear.

There are usually several steps involved in the diagnosis of breast cancer such as examination of the breast, ultrasonography or mammography. Finally, you may undergo a biopsy which is the only definitive method to diagnose breast cancer.
Complete examination of the breast includes a visual inspection and palpitation, including the armpits and the areas around the collarbone. Your healthcare provider may also palpate for a lump or feel for a thickening in the skin.

Breast Cancer Surgery- Breast Reconstruction

Although it’s not a perfect method, surgery is the only way of dealing with breast cancer. It’s undeniable that it has some major downsides, including not being 100% effective and having negative psychological and aesthetical effects on the patient, but it’s the best that medicine can offer as of now. And since the method itself cannot be (yet) replaced, efforts have been put into reducing these negative effects and avoiding the problems they cause. If the tumor is larger and if it is discovered in a later stage, the patient’s entire breast must be removed (process called mastectomy, as opposed to lumpectomy – where only the small cancerous lump is removed) which leaves her with some serious aesthetical problems, which in turn cause the psychological ones. Fortunately, science and medicine have done wonders in this direction in the last few decades, allowing post-surgery breast reconstruction to be a reality.

Before going any further in the subject, it’s important to specify that in some cases, breast reconstruction cannot be performed immediately after the surgery. The reasons are multiple and they include the fact that breast cancer surgery is not always effective from the first time. This means that although the tumor was removed, there might still be cancerous cells in the area with the risk of spreading in the adjacent tissue and a second operation is required, in case the area that is still affected is larger. If it’s not as large as to require a second operation, these cells can be destroyed with treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, but these take time, making breast reconstruction impossible during the treatment.

There are two main breast reconstruction methods that are commonly used today: the use of a tissue expander in combination with breast implants and flap reconstruction. The first one is probably the more common of the two, although it requires more time to be effective. What the surgeon does in this case is insert a temporary implant beneath the chest wall, where the mastectomy operation took place and periodically injects saline solutions to slowly expand the overlaying tissue. The rate at which the solution is injected depends on several factors, ranging over a few weeks or months. In any case, it’s a slower but dependable solution. After the breast has been stretched to the required size, the temporary implant is replaced by a normal silicone one and the nipple and areola are reconstructed separately in a final surgical intervention.

The second method, called flap reconstruction, requires the surgeon to use the tissue from another part of the patient’s body (from larger body areas such as the back, buttocks, abdomen and so forth) in order to reconstruct the breast. Although a faster method than the one using the tissue expander, flap reconstruction may not have the same efficiency. Flap reconstruction can recreate the look and feel of the skin prior to the mastectomy, although a small visible difference is unavoidable. Implants are used for the inner part of the breast, the process being almost identical to that used in breast augmentation. Therefore, even if the operation succeeds, the patient will still be vulnerable to the same problems and risks involved in breast augmentation.

Dealing with Snoring Problems

When dealing with a snoring problem, you could be faced with one of two issues: primary snoring or the more sinister Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or OSA. To understand the differences between these two types of snoring, you must understand exactly how the snoring process works.

Snoring occurs when there is an airway blockage restricting your ability to breathe while sleeping. In the case of a primary snorer, the snoring is the result of air struggling to be inhaled and successfully doing so. Obstructive sleep apnea, on the other hand, occurs when a primary snoring issue gets so bad that there is a full obstruction in the airway and a lack of oxygen occurs, causing the sufferer to not breathe for over 10 seconds. Just from the basic explanation of the two types of snoring, you can see that one is a moderate issue while the other is severe.

Snoring is caused by a host of different reasons. Obesity, alcohol consumption, use of sleeping pills or anti-histamines, allergies, nasal deformities, weak throat muscles, abnormal jaw structure, nasal congestion, a deviated septum, and enlarged or swollen tonsils and/or adenoids are some normal reasons for a person to snore. While being a primary snorer isn’t a huge problem, it still can have some negative effects.

For instance, when sleeping with someone, studies show that a snorer usually causes their loved one to lose roughly an hour of sleep per evening, while waking them up as often as 21 times per hour. This can result in restlessness and a lack of good sleep for the non-snorer, and is a problem known as Spousal Arousal Syndrome. This lack of quality sleep can have numerous negative effects on the health of the non-snorer. A recent study showed that approximately 80 percent of people in relationships where a person snored slept separately; Spousal Arousal Syndrome can severely affect your sex life and general relationship.

Sleep apnea, on the other hand, can have much worse effects. Snoring is generally a symptom of sleep apnea, although apnea can occur even when the person does not snore. The total loss of air flow experienced by someone with obstructive sleep apnea causes the person to wake up gasping for air, sweating, or choking. They also generally experience headaches and sore throats due to this constant struggle for air. The sleep quality of a person with sleep apnea is rarely efficient enough for the person to get a good night’s rest. This can leave them having trouble concentrating on simple tasks, being irritable, and being unable to perform well at work. Also, men may experience impotence as a side-effect of obstructive sleep apnea. Long term effects of this problem if left untreated include an increased risk for a heart attack or a stroke; also, heightened blood pressure and lower blood oxygen levels are seen. This causes the heart to work harder. If you are a snorer, and some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea sound all too familiar to you, it is important to go to a doctor and get checked for the disorder. Your health can’t afford not to.

How to Treat the problem of Snoring

With surveys showing that 40% of American adults snore frequently, it’s of some surprise that treatments for snoring are little known throughout the public knowledge base. The truth is, there are many things that you can do to aid problems such as snoring and sleep apnoea. One of the first things you should know about snoring is the factors that promote snoring. Snoring troubles can often be attributed to such factors as weight gain, alcohol usage, and the anatomy of a person’s jaw.

While there are many ways to treat snoring, there are also many snake-oil treatments out there that are not worth their salt when it comes to results. To treat the problems you have with snoring, you must first diagnose the reasons for your personal troubles. One commonly effective way to prevent snoring is losing weight. Since most cases of snoring are related to weight gain, then the act of simply trimming the pounds back off can be a healthy remedy to the problem.

In many cases of snoring, the problem occurs only when the person sleeps on their back. If you decide that this could be the reason for your snoring problem, one of the simplest remedies would be to simply keep yourself off your back while you sleep. While it may be tough to get used to sleeping on your side, one common way to get your body into the habit is to put a tennis ball in a sock and pin the sock to the back of your pyjama pants. This makes it uncomfortable to sleep on your back, so you will naturally fall asleep on your side.

If you happen to be one of the unlucky snorers who snore no matter WHAT position they may be sleeping in, fret not! There is still an answer to your problems. For these advanced cases of snoring, you can buy mouthpieces which reposition your tongue or jaw while you sleep, stopping the problem. If over-the-counter mouthpieces fail to solve your problem, dentists can specially fit you with a unique oral appliance which repositions your tongue or jaw exactly the way you need it to.

In the direst cases of snoring, where none of the above treatments can solve the problem, surgery may be necessary to correct your issue. If the problem involves a child, removing the tonsils and the adenoids is the proper surgical procedure for ending the snoring. In adults, however, there are a host of surgeries which might be used to correct the problem.

If your snoring problem is intense enough to get to the surgery stage, it is important that you have your doctor screen you to test for sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is an issue where your body is not getting enough oxygen due to improper breathing during sleep, and snoring can be an “alarm” to get your body attentive to the problem, waking you up. For this reason, it is important to check for apnoea, so that you aren’t cancelling out your body’s warning system – snoring.