いびき
masuiSnoring ,nocturnal emission of snoring
いびきは睡眠時の呼吸に伴う雑音です。睡眠中は全身の筋肉が緩み、舌を含む、のど周辺の筋肉も緩みます。体を横にして寝ることで、重力により、舌が下に落ち込み、気道がより狭くなり、そこに空気が通ると、周囲の組織が、振動していびきが起こるようになります。いびきには種類があり、鼻づまりや、疲労、飲酒、風邪などが原因となるような、一時的な単発のいびきなどは、その原因を取り除けば解消するタイプなので問題はありません。しかし、毎日のように、いびきがあり、家族から指摘されるほどの大きないびきだと、治療せずに放置しておくと睡眠時無呼吸となる可能性があります。悪化すると、無酸素状態なので、脳や心臓など、様々な重病を合併しやすくなります。睡眠時無呼吸症候群は、睡眠中に呼吸が停止する状態、または、無呼吸や呼吸が止まりかける状態が一晩で何度も繰り返される病気です。呼吸が止まるたびに脳が短時間覚醒するため、眠りも浅くなり、日中に眠気がでてきたりします。そのため、起床時の頭痛や、日中の強い眠気や疲労感、集中力・記憶力の低下などが起きてることがあります。睡眠時無呼吸症候群・（SAS）の原因は、肥満による首回りの脂肪の沈着、扁桃腺肥大、アデノイド、気道へ舌が落ち込む、舌が大きい、鼻が曲がっているなどがあります。寝ているときは舌や喉の周りの筋肉も緩むため上気道が狭くなり、空気が通るたびに周囲の粘膜が震えて「ガー」や「ゴー」などと音を出します。健康な状態では音が出るほど上気道は狭くなりませんが、なんらかの原因で狭くなるといびきが発生するのです。舌は骨格筋です。筋肉なので、筋肉を様々に動かすことで、形や位置を自在に変えることができ、食物を飲み込む際や、言葉をしゃべる際などにも使われるので、消化器、運動器の両方の働きをもっています。なので、年齢を重ねて、年をとってくると、足腰の筋肉が衰えるように、舌の筋肉も衰えてきます。鍼灸治療では、口のまわりの筋肉を鍛えることで、舌の支えを強くし、舌が落ちてくることを防ぎ、空気の通り道も確保できるようになります。特に舌を前上方の方向へ引き上げる舌骨上筋群・外舌筋に鍼灸治療をして、筋の血流を改善、筋の質を高めて、気道を確保できるように、弾力のある筋に改善していきます。
Snoring is a noise associated with breathing during sleep. During sleep, muscles throughout the body relax, including the tongue and the muscles around the throat. By sleeping on your side, gravity causes the tongue to drop down, which narrows the airway and allows air to pass through it, causing the surrounding tissues to vibrate and snore. There are different types of snoring. Temporary, one-off snoring caused by nasal congestion, fatigue, alcohol consumption, or a cold is not a problem, as it will go away when the cause is removed. However, if the snoring is daily and loud enough to be noticed by family members, it can lead to sleep apnea if left untreated. As it worsens, it can easily complicate a variety of serious illnesses, including brain and heart, since it is an anoxic condition. Sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing stops during sleep, or apnea or near cessation of breathing is repeated many times during the night. Each time breathing stops, the brain is briefly awakened, resulting in shallow sleep and sleepiness during the day. As a result, headaches upon waking up, strong drowsiness and fatigue during the day, and poor concentration and memory may occur. Causes of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) include fat deposits around the neck due to obesity, enlarged tonsils, adenoids, tongue drop into the airway, large tongue, and crooked nose. When sleeping, the muscles around the tongue and throat also relax, narrowing the upper airway and causing the surrounding mucous membranes to quiver and make "gurgling" or "gurgling" sounds whenever air passes through them. In a healthy state, the upper airway is not narrowed to the point of making noise, but if it narrows for some reason, snoring occurs. The tongue is a skeletal muscle. Because it is a muscle, it can change its shape and position at will by moving the muscle in various ways. It is also used for swallowing food and speaking, so it has both digestive and motor functions. Therefore, as we age and grow older, the muscles of the tongue deteriorate, just as the muscles of the legs and back deteriorate. Acupuncture treatment strengthens the muscles around the mouth to strengthen the support of the tongue, preventing it from falling out and allowing air passage. In particular, acupuncture treatment is given to the supraspinatus and external lingual muscles, which pull the tongue in an anterior upward direction, to improve blood flow in the muscles, enhance the quality of the muscles, and improve their elasticity so that the airway can be secured.
