Tuesday, May 4, 2010

A Look at Snoring Treatments

If like me, you sound like a bear growling a cave when your sleep, then you will know that snoring has a big impact on life. Regardless of the health issues, Snoring can damage your relationship.

When you suffer from sleep apnea and are tired of being woken up every hour either to the sound of your own snoring, or being dug in the back and told to "Roll Over",then you should read these recommendations to snoring treatment.

If your own attempts to stop snoring do not help, consult your physician or an otolaryngologist -- or a doctor for the ear, nose, and throat.

If you choose to try a dental appliance as a snoring treatment, you will need to see a dentist specializing in these devices. Some medical snoring treatments are continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), oral devices (including dental appliances and lower jaw positioners), and surgery.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure consists of sleeping with an air mask to maintain continuous air pressure in the throat. CPAP is a therapy for sleep apnea, as well as for snoring.

A wide range of dental appliances, oral devices, and lower jaw adjusters are offered to alleviate snoring.
Numerous sufferers experience significant improvement with these oral appliances, which bring the lower jaw forward during sleep. Most of the pieces fit inside the mouth, but some products on the market are worn around the head and chin to adjust the position of the lower jaw.

According to many experts, while other snoring treatments may help in cases of milder snoring problems, for heavy snoring, surgically correcting obstructive conditions in the nose, pharynx, or uvula may be the only solution.

As long as surgery goes, Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP) treats snoring and various types of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

The types of TAP include: laser-assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) and radiofrequency ablation (or "somnoplasty"). Laser-assisted uvula palatoplasty (LAUP) vaporizes the uvula and a portion of the palate with a laser in the doctor's office under local anesthesia.
LAUP effectively removes blocking to the airway, which may be causing snoring or sleep apnea.

Laser-Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty has a higher success rate than Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for sleep apnea (UPPP), but it requires a surgeon with competence in laser procedures.

Radiofrequency ablation, or somnoplasty, lessen excess tissue in the upper airway with a needle electrode. For snoring, the soft palate and uvula are reduced. For Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the base of the tongue is reduced. For chronic nasal obstruction, nasal turbinates are reduced. Somnoplasty doesn't need general anesthesia.

You also need to take a look at your diet. Although this probably won't be the complete snoring treatment answer, it is worth starting with what you are eating and drinking.

You could well have intolerance to certain foods which influences your breathing, especially when lying on you back. For example, too much (or an intolerance to) dairy produce is likely to cause you to become obstructed up with mucus, when horizontal, this collects causing heavy breathing and snoring. Alcohol is another common offender.

Becoming overweight is another significant contributor. Excess weight in the neck and chest puts pressure on the breathing passage.

Sleep on you side or front. Now this is easier said than done, because it is hard to control your sleeping position when you are asleep... However, there is an old trick that may be worth considering. You could sow a walnut, table tennis ball or similar size object into the back of a shirt and wear that to bed. whenever you go on your back it will dig into you, making you to roll back again, and presuming you don't take your shirt off in your sleep.


Using nasal strips. I found these to be very helpful, at least to start with. Nasal strips (often used by athletes) open the air passage for you, thus eliminating or avoiding blockages. If your desperate It' s worth a try.

Now, I have saved the best for last.

Exercising the muscles in your throat, tongue and doing breathing exercises can completely cure your snoring.

For more detailed information and more tips go to snore-no-more