Snoring Sleep Disorders and How They Can Be Treated

Do you often find yourself moving your partner around in the middle of the night so he changes his position and stops snoring? Or do you move to another room because youre sick and tired of not being able to sleep because your partner constantly snores? Studies estimate that 45 % of men and 30% of women snore on a regular basis. People who snore can have any body type, although as a rule, snoring increases when people gain weight.

There are three common types of snoring: mild snoring, moderate snoring and severe snoring. In mild snoring, the patient snores only when lying in bed, but snoring does not occur every night. With moderate snoring, the problem is present every night, stops if the person changes position during sleep, and may cause problems for others sharing the bedroom or household. Severe snorers have the problem every night and snore regardless of body position. Severe snoring may force sleep partners to sleep in separate bedrooms.

Snoring is a sound resulting from the vibration or flapping of the tissues lining the air passages during sleep. The turbulent air flow is related to a narrowing at some point in the nose, mouth or throat. Different people who snore may have various reasons for the narrowing of the air spaces leading to snoring. Anatomical variation, the use of medications and alcohol, and underlying medical conditions are all among the various causes of snoring. The normal aging process also leads to relaxation of the throat muscles and can facilitate snoring.

Snoring can also cause a serious disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder that commonly affects more than 12 million people in the United States. It takes its name from the Greek word apnea, which means "without breath." People with sleep apnea stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping because their upper airways get blocked. These short stops in breathing can happen up to 400 times every night. These periods of not breathing may make them wake up from deep sleep. The most common complaints of people suffering with sleep apnea include loud snoring, disrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients with apnea suffer from fragmented sleep and may develop cardiovascular abnormalities because of the repetitive cycles of snoring, airway collapse and arousal.

Primary snoring, also known as simple snoring, is a benign form of snoring that is rhythmical and continuous and does not involve apnea. Snoring can contribute to fatigue and morning tiredness. This can add risks to driving and any occupation where workplace tiredness can lead to a lowering of safety. Also there is an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke in snoring patients.

In order to prevent snoring sleep disorders from becoming more aggravated, a patient can choose either non-surgical or surgical treatments. The common non-surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include behavior therapy, medications, dental appliances, continuous positive airway pressure and auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure. Dental appliances can be used to prevent snoring by keeping the airway open. These devices can reduce the snoring disorders in three different ways, namely, putting the jaw forward, lifting up the soft palate, and restraining the tongue from falling back into the airway and thus reduce snoring.

In addition, there is always the option of having surgery done to alleviate, if not completely eliminate, snoring sleep disorders Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure that removes excess tissue in the throat to make the airway wider. This sometimes can allow air to move through the throat more easily when you breathe, decreasing the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP) is a technique and procedure that includes bipolar cautery, coupled with laser and radiofrequency therapy to cure snoring. Finally, Genioglossus and hyoid advancement is a surgical procedure that prevents collapse of the lower throat and pulls the tongue muscles forward, thereby opening the obstructed airway.

Home page

Treatments
About some of the different treatments.

Types of sleep problems
A list of some of the different sleep disorders.

General information
Information about sleep disorders.

Disclaimers
Our contact and privacy information.