Do Nasal Sprays Work for Snoring?

Science, Solutions

Do Nasal Sprays Work for Snoring?

Nasal sprays can be effective for snoring if you get the right type.

Snoring is often the result of a blocked or stuffy nose. Unblocking your nose can drastically reduce snoring, and a popular method is to use a nasal spray.

Not all nasal sprays are the same, and it’s important to match the appropriate type of nasal spray to your cause of nasal blockage.

 

Various causes of a blocked nose that can lead to snoring

Read more

 

In this guide, we’ll go through the different types of nasal spray available to give you the best chance of finding one that works for you.

Jump to the main types of nasal spray for snorers:

What’s blocking your nose and why does it make you snore?

If you breathe through a partially blocked nose, suction forces are created that can cause your throat to collapse and make your uvula and soft palate vibrate [1].

When your nose is fully blocked, you’ll start breathing through your mouth when you sleep – a common cause of snoring.

 

Why open mouth breathing is a leading cause of snoring

Find out

 

There are lots of causes of a stuffy nose, from colds and infections, hay fever and dust allergies to chronic nasal inflammation and non-allergic rhinitis. One type of nasal spray won’t cure all types of nasal blockage, so it’s important to know which one is which …

Different types of nasal spray

Side note: what does “topical” mean?

You will often see nasal sprays referred to as “topical”. This refers to the route of administration. Topical simply means that the drug is applied directly to the site it aims to treat, in this instance, the nose. This is the opposite to systemic administration, where the drug is usually swallowed or injected.

1. Antihistamine nasal sprays

In short, these are ideal for treating nasal blockage that arises due to allergy.

If your snoring is worse in the spring and summer when pollen spores cause hay fever, or if you’ve noticed dust in the home makes you stuffy and snore, then antihistamine sprays could work for you.

An allergy is when your body elicits an immune response – an infection-fighting tactic – to something non-infectious.

Histamine is a chemical inside the body that is released in high quantities in this immune response. Histamine and other chemicals rush to the site where allergens are detected (usually the nose and throat as this is the primary point of entry if breathing them in) and then bind to specific receptors to cause inflammation.

Antihistamines help to relieve your stuffy nose by reducing this inflammation via stopping histamine binding to other cells.

Summary: good for allergy sufferers, treats inflammation and runny nose, use when symptoms worsen.

Examples: azelastine, olopatadine

2. Steroid nasal sprays

Like antihistamines, these work by reducing inflammation. They can be suitable for treating allergies and non-allergic rhinitis or nasal polyps. Steroid nasal sprays are commonly prescribed to treat problematic snoring but can also be bought over-the-counter.


Side note – what is rhinitis?

Rhinitis simply means swelling in the nose. It is not a disease, but a term used to describe nasal symptoms including swelling, difficulty breathing and excess mucus. There are two categories of rhinitis:

  • Allergic rhinitis. This is an umbrella term for conditions like hay fever or nasal swelling experienced in response to other allergens.
  • Non-allergic rhinitis. This describes nasal symptoms caused by environmental factors including pollution and weather, infection and hormonal imbalance. This will sometimes be referred to as vasomotor rhinitis or idiopathic rhinitis. The cause is often vague.

The steroids in these nasal sprays are not to be confused with anabolic steroids used to build body mass. Nasal spray steroids are copies of naturally occurring hormones produced by glands above the kidneys.

Steroid nasal sprays reduce inflammation via several different mechanisms [2]. This includes stopping the function of a key enzyme which helps produce inflammatory chemicals in the body [3].

If prescribed steroid nasal sprays, remember that they are unlikely to provide instant relief and usually work after a few initial uses. If your nasal problems are chronic, you should use the spray regularly even if your symptoms improve.

Steroid nasal sprays don’t tend to produce any serious side effects and can be used by most people.

Summary: good general nasal spray for a variety of conditions, especially for people with chronic nasal inflammation, can be used long-term

Examples: mometasone, fluticasone, beclometasone

3. Anticholinergic nasal sprays

This type of nasal spray is best to treat a runny nose. They reduce the amount of mucus that your nose produces and are suitable for a variety of causes of nasal blockage from allergic to non-allergic.

Unlike antihistamines and steroid spray, anticholinergic sprays will not relieve the inflammation and congestion. The side effect profile is typically mild.

Anticholinergic sprays work by blocking receptors which ordinarily lead to activation of nasal mucus glands and hence mucus production [4].

Summary: good for snorers with a runny nose

Example: ipratropium bromide

4. Decongestant nasal sprays

Congestion in the nose is caused by dilation (expansion) of blood vessels, reducing the space for air to flow freely. Decongestant nasal sprays work by constricting these blood vessels to widen your nasal passages.

Decongestants can be very effective in relieving a blocked nose in the short term, and most can be bought over-the-counter. However they are not suitable for everybody. Children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people with high blood pressure shouldn’t use decongestant nasal sprays (this is because constricting blood vessels further increases blood pressure).

Decongestants are suitable for short-term use: a few times a day for no longer than a week. This is because overuse of decongestants can cause rebound congestion where the spray starts to have the opposite effect and cause nasal stuffiness.

Summary: good for nasal blockage caused by short-lived problems like a cold, should only be used short-term to avoid rebound congestion

Example: pseudoephedrine

5. Mast cell inhibitors

This type of nasal spray is suitable for those who suffer from seasonal allergies and can predict when their symptoms will arise. Because mast cell inhibitors are preventative, they need to be used a couple of weeks before the onset of symptoms.

These sprays work in a similar fashion to antihistamines in that they stop mast cells (a type of immune cell) from breaking down and releasing inflammation-causing histamine.

Summary: suitable to long-term sufferers of hay fever who can time the onset of their symptoms

Example: cromolyn

6. Saline nasal sprays

Saline nasal sprays are non-medicated. Instead, they are a mixture of water and salt (sodium chloride) which moisturize your nasal passages to soothe inflammation and can also break down excess mucus.

This type of spray works in a very similar way to using a neti-pot, the only difference is the mode of delivery. Because saline nasal sprays are non-medicated (though do read the label, some are “combination” sprays containing some medication), they can be used by nearly everyone, including children.

Saline nasal sprays can also be used to make other snoring remedies work better. Steroid sprays don’t work well if there is a lot of mucus present. Using a saline spray first can help break up excess mucus, allowing medicated sprays to work more effectively. Saline sprays can also help to moisten your airways before using CPAP.

Summary: suitable for all and useful for soothing chronic nasal inflammation and clearing excess mucus, can be used as an adjunct to other remedies

Is Your Snoring Caused by a Dust Allergy?

Causes

Is Your Snoring Caused by a Dust Allergy?

If you struggle to breathe through your nose at night, you may not be surprised to learn that a blocked nose is one of the main causes of snoring.

 

10 tips to manage allergy-related snoring

Jump

A blocked nose can often be brought on by an allergy, a likely cause of which is dust.

Dust gathers in household environments due to flaking skin. The allergy is not due to this dust, but to the dust mites it attracts.

Invisible to the naked eye, these microscopic arachnids feed on skin flakes. The waste they produce contains proteins which are a major cause of allergic symptoms in humans [1].

How does a blocked nose make you snore?

If you are susceptible to these dust mite allergens, then breathing through your nose may become difficult. A blocked nose can cause you to snore in several ways:

  • Nasal breathing becomes noisy with whistling, popping or rumbling sounds.
  • Nasal breathing through a partially blocked nose can create suction forces which narrow the upper airway to produce the typical soft-palate snore.
  • It can become impossible to breathe through a blocked nose, so you are forced to instead breathe through your mouth. This changes your face shape which narrows your airway to bring on snoring.

How do I know if I have allergies?

If you suspect that allergies are causing your snoring, ask yourself the following:

  • Do you have carpets and other soft-furnishings in your home? Carpets can easily trap dust and dust mites.
  • Do you snore less away from home? Record your snoring with SnoreLab and make a note of where you have slept. See and hear the difference that your environment makes.
  • Do your symptoms arrive suddenly? Allergic symptoms are faster acting than the symptoms of a common cold.
  • Do you have itchy eyes and throat as well as a blocked nose?

10 tips to manage allergy-related snoring

To stop allergies ruining you and your partner’s sleep, the key is to clean and clean thoroughly:

1. Vacuum like you’ve never vacuumed before

Get the vacuum cleaner out more often and vacuum those forgotten places in your bedroom that have trapped years-worth of dust. You’d be amazed at where dust can get. Remember, vacuum cleaning a room is all very well and good if the dust isn’t fired straight back out again. Make sure your vacuum cleaner has an in-built HEPA filter to trap the dust you suck up.

2. Invest in an air purifier

Air purifiers can be very effective at ridding your home of a host of microscopic allergy triggers, including dust mites. There are many types, shapes and sizes. Check out SnoreLab’s recommended air purifier with a true HEPA filter to get rid of 99.97% of harmful particles from your room.

3. Move things around

Dust can accumulate when furniture stays in the same place for a while. Engage in some anti-snoring feng shui to reveal those places where dust can hide and make your snoring worse. Whilst this may agitate the dust in the short-term, wait a bit and then simply deploy the vacuum cleaner again.

4. Wash bedding

As well as frequently washing bed covers, it is also a good idea to wash the pillows and duvet too as they can also trap dust.

5. Use allergy-proof bedding covers

Once you are sure your bedding is clean, invest in some allergy-proof bedding covers to prevent the dust from returning.

6. Flip your mattress

Just as dust can hide on furniture, it can hide also hide on your mattress. Flip it and clean it every once in a while, and consider a mattress protector.

7. Consider getting rid of carpets

If your dust allergies are really affecting you and making your snoring intolerable, it might be time to get rid of the carpets in your home. The drastic measure could make drastic differences to your snoring.

8. Fit roller blinds instead of drapes/curtains

Drapes/curtains are another place that dust and dust mites love. Roller blinds with simple designs and hard surfaces will trap dust less and are much easier to clean

9. Regularly wipe hard surfaces

After time, even hard surfaces will start to accumulate dust and dust mites. Giving them a wipe down with a damp cloth every now and then is a great way to keep them dust-free.

10. Use a neti pot

Cleaning allergies out of your life isn’t just about cleaning your environment, it’s also about cleaning your body, specifically your nose. If your nose is stuffy, rid yourself of allergens trapped in nasal mucus with a neti pot. This snoring remedy uses salt water with the assistance of gravity to flush out your nose and ease congestion.

 

Shop for SnoreLab’s recommended

neti pot starter kit

and read our guide to neti pots

Conclusion

Allergies can make the nights an unpleasant experience for you and your partner if a blocked nose makes your snoring worse. If you are a hay fever sufferer, the outdoors is a trial; with dust allergies, the indoors is no better. Hopefully, by following these tips, you can banish dust and snoring from your bedroom for good.

Make sure to have a read of Jenny’s story, a SnoreLab user who discovered a dust allergy was causing her snoring and had a dramatic reduction with these techniques.

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