Snoring interferes with the lives of many people, both men and women over the age of 50. It often interferes with the sleep of the bed partner and sometimes the whole household. When it is associated with sleep apnea, the combination can be life-threatening.
Snoring is a problem that has bothered
people throughout the ages. Ancient legend defined snoring as
"terrifying noises made by man at night to protect women
by frightening away the beasts of prey.
Snoring is a noise made as air passes
through the tissues of the collapsible part of the upper airway--
the soft palate, the uvula, the tonsils, the tonsillar pillars,
the soft tissue at the base of the tongue, the throat muscles
and lining membranes, and tumors or anything sticking into these
spaces.Snoring is three times as common in obese persons as
thin ones. It occurs in 60% of men and 40% of women by age 60.
It can drive sleeping partners from the bedroom. It can awaken
people sleeping in other parts of the house. It can disrupt
business trips, camping/hunting trips, and family vacations.
It can destroy marriages. It is embarrassing when it occurs
at church or at the movies.
Snoring can be lessened if the snorer looses weight and/or works out regularly. Avoiding alcoholic beverages within 4 hours of retiring helps decrease snoring, as does avoiding tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines. Sleeping on one's side also helps decrease snoring. Keeping the neck extended and letting one's sleeping partner fall asleep first helps, too.
It is important to differentiate simple snoring from sleep apnea with associated snoring. Sleep apnea carries several major, life-threatening risks, most specifically a significantly higher risk of having a heart attack after the age of 50. There is also a higher risk of getting into an automobile accident because of the daytime sleepiness associated with sleep apnea. Treatment of snoring, in the absence of sleep apnea, consists of simple remedies like avoiding sleeping on ones back. Tennis balls attached to the back of one's nightshirt have been used to discourage sleeping on ones back. Bite blocks have been made to hold the jaw forward at night so the base of the tongue doesn't fall against the back wall of the throat. The list of remedies tried throughout the ages in interesting, humorous, and often absurd. In the past few years, surgical procedures have been used to decrease the amount of floppy tissue in the back of the throat, and therefore decrease snoring. These procedures often improve the situation, but may not eliminate snoring completely and are usually not covered by the patients insurance.
The procedure
LAUP, laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty is one of the most common
procedures done for snoring. The throat is treated with a local
anesthetic in the office and the palate is trimmed. This is
often done in increments, with 1-5 treatment sessions. Other
treatments include yag laser treatment of the palate or base
of the tongue and destruction of palate or base of tongue tissues
by sound waves or other forms of energy. Injection of the palate
with stiffening agents has also been performed. Ask your otolaryngologist
about the different procedures and the results obtained in his/her
practice.
