Singing exercises reduce snoring

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Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 20 Aug 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Singing exercises reduce snoring

Are you - or your partner - a chronic snorer? Joining a choir or taking singing lessons could help. A UK study found that a program of vocal exercises designed by a singing teacher helped reduce snoring.

The clinical trial, by Exeter University and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, showed that the singing exercises, which strengthen certain throat muscles, also alleviated symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing during deep sleep.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can result from weak muscles in the soft palate and upper throat (the pharyngeal muscles).

Serious singers improve the tone and strength of these muscles by practicing certain vocal exercises.

The study came about because singing teacher Alise Ojay contacted Malcolm Hilton, consultant otolaryngologist at the Exeter hospital and sub dean of the University of Exeter Medical School.

Dr. Hilton explains:

"Alise told me that one of her pupils had said that, since starting to sing, his snoring had become greatly reduced.

So, she devised a singing exercise program to strengthen the throat muscles. I then set up this trial and the results have been really interesting."

Hilton explains that snoring and obstructive sleep apnea affect millions of people. Snoring may not be a life-threatening condition, but it disrupts lives and sufferers often seek medical advice.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), on the other hand, is potentially much more serious. It can cause people to stop breathing during deep sleep, and severely diminish sleep quality.

A recent study found that moderate obstructive sleep apnea may raise sudden cardiac death risk. Dr. Hilton:

"It is also believed that OSA may contribute to road accidents and hypertension."

For the trial, the team recruited 60 chronic snorers and 60 people with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea.

The participants from each group were randomly assigned to either follow a program of singing exercises for three months, or no intervention.The self-guided exercise program was provided on a box-set of three audio CDs, and could be completed in around 20 minutes each day.

At the end of the trial, the results showed that the daily singing exercises reduced the severity, frequency and loudness of snoring, and improved sleep quality. There were no such changes in the participants who were not asked to do the exercises.

Hilton says the exercises were not difficult, and two thirds of the participants asked to do them managed this on most days over the three-month trial.

He adds that the findings open up a "whole new avenue" of possible treatments without the need for surgery, which is good news for snorers:

"I was open-minded about it. I had no expectations but it was an interesting concept.

There is not already a quick-fix treatment for snoring. It is a condition where, if you could find a non-invasive treatment, that would be very beneficial."

But Hilton suggests for best results, the exercises should be accompanied by lifestyle changes such as losing weight. Being overweight is the single biggest contributor to snoring.

Research published in July 2013 found that heart rates were synched by people singing together in a group. Written by Catharine Paddock PhD
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Visit our sleep / sleep disorders / insomnia section for the latest news on this subject.

Singing exercises improve sleepiness and frequency of snoring among snorers - a randomised controlled trial; M. P. Hilton, J. O. Savage, B. Hunter, S. McDonald, C. Repanos, R. Powell; International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Vol. 2 No. 3, 2013, pp. 97-102. Open-access paper published online (DOI: 10.4236/ijohns.2013.23023).

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Reinforcing commercial host liability helps reduce excessive alcohol consumption

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 31 Jul 2013 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Reinforcing commercial host liability helps reduce excessive alcohol consumption

Fewer states are holding alcohol retailers liable for harms caused by customers who were served illegally, according to a new report from researchers at Alcohol Policy Consultations and the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Published online by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the legal research study documents the gradual erosion of commercial host liability (also referred to as dram shop liability) from 1989 to 2011.

Commercial host liability holds alcohol retailers liable for alcohol-attributable harms resulting from illegal alcohol sales to patrons who are intoxicated or underage at the time of service. It applies to both on-premise (bars, restaurants and clubs) and off-premise locations. The Community Preventive Services Task Force recently determined that commercial host liability was effective in reducing a range of harms from alcohol in states that have it, including a median six percent drop in alcohol-related motor vehicle crash deaths.

The report found that in recent years many states enacted legislation to protect retailers from commercial host liability by increasing the evidentiary requirements, limiting the amount of liability awards and/or protecting certain retailers from liability. For example, between 1989 and 2011, the number of states that recognized liability for serving intoxicated adults without restrictions declined from 25 to 21, and states with one of these major restrictions increased from 11 to 16. Maps illustrating the erosion of these laws can be accessed at the CAMY website here.

"The erosion of commercial host liability in recent decades is a public health failure that directly contributes to the exorbitant human and economic costs of excessive drinking," said lead study author James F. Mosher, JD, of Alcohol Policy Consultations, a public health legal consultancy in Felton, California. "Alcohol retailers who operate negligently and engage in illegal serving practices should not receive special protection, denying those who are injured their day in court."

The report also examined states' adoption of the Responsible Beverage Service (RBS) practices defense, an optional provision in commercial host liability laws first developed in 1985 as part of a project funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. In states that have adopted it, retailers can avoid liability if they show that they adhered to RBS practices at the time of the alcohol service leading to the injury and lawsuit.

RBS practices include instituting effective ID checks, training staff on identifying signs of intoxication and discontinuing marketing practices that encourage intoxication, among others. The report found that only six states had adopted the RBS defense provision despite the potential benefits to both public health and retailers.

"These findings underscore the critical importance of commercial host liability laws," said David Jernigan, PhD, co-author of the report and CAMY director. "These laws have been proven to prevent alcohol sales to underage and intoxicated persons, and should be a priority for public health."

Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. The economic cost of excessive drinking was an estimated $223.5 billion in 2006, or approximately $1.90 per drink consumed. Most binge drinkers (54.3%) who reported driving after their most recent binge drinking episode drank in an on-premises retail alcohol establishment such as a bar, club or restaurant, and 25.7 percent of this group reported consuming 10 or more drinks before getting behind the wheel. On- and off-premise alcohol retail outlets are also sources of alcohol for underage drinkers, particularly those aged 18 to 20 who have high rates of binge drinking and associated public health and safety problems.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our alcohol / addiction / illegal drugs section for the latest news on this subject.

Efficacy and the Strength of Evidence of U.S. Alcohol Control Policies, Toben F. Nelson, ScD, Ziming Xuan, ScD, Thomas F. Babor, PhD, Robert D. Brewer, MD, MSPH, Frank J. Chaloupka, PhD, Paul J. Gruenewald, PhD, Harold Holder, PhD, Michael Klitzner, PhD, James F. Mosher, JD, Rebecca L. Ramirez, MPH, Robert Reynolds, MA, Traci L. Toomey, PhD, Victoria Churchill, Timothy S Naimi, MD, MPH, American Journal of Preventive Medicine Volume 45, Issue 1 , Pages 19-28, July 2013, doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2013.03.008

This research was supported with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

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New SANE Australia report calls for action to reduce stigma against mental illness

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 25 Jul 2013 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for:
New SANE Australia report calls for action to reduce stigma against mental illness

A new study from mental health charity, SANE Australia, reports that stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness is widespread, harmful to recovery, and is a major barrier to participation in society for those affected.

The new report - A Life without Stigma - concludes that a national strategy to tackle stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness is vital, and should be a non-negotiable component of mental health policies and plans.

'Stigma is a major issue for people affected by mental illness, influencing how they are viewed and how they view themselves' says Jack Heath, CEO of SANE Australia. 'It is destructive, hurtful, and excluding. If we are to help people with mental illness lead a contributing life, it is essential that we take action against stigma.'

A Life without Stigma points out that while significant progress has been made to reduce the stigma associated with depression, Australia urgently needs a national, long-term strategy to reduce the stigma associated with schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses.

The report's recommendations stress that the strategy must be:

comprehensive, targeted, long-term, and robustly fundedinclusive of people living with mental illness and family carersbased on evidence of good practice, and evaluatedcomplementary to existing stigma reduction strategies for depression and anxiety, as well as the Mindframe strategy to reduce stigma in the mediaconsistent with the mental health plans of national and state governments, as well as the National Mental Health Commission.

SANE Australia is calling on the major political parties to commit to a national, long-term strategy and campaign to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness, with a particular focus on psychotic illness. SANE has written to the Minister for Mental Health, Jacinta Collins as well as the mental health spokespeople for the Coalition and the Greens party, asking them to make stigma reduction a priority for the next government.

'Mental illness is common. With one in five of us affected every year, reducing stigma across all diagnoses is an important issue for everyone' says Jack Heath. 'SANE Australia calls on each party to review the report and make stigma reduction for mental illness a commitment in the upcoming Federal election.'

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Report: A life without Stigma, funded by the Department of Health and Ageing

SANE Australia

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