What is snoring?



Snoring is caused due to the vibration of the respiratory structures, which results in producing sounds. The sound is produced due to the obstruction during breathing while sleeping. Snoring causes unpleasant sound, which may be soft or loud. Uvula and soft palate are usually the structures. Blockage is caused due to irregular airflow. Following are the causes:

- While sleeping the throat closes due to throat weakness.

- Dispositional jaw is caused due to tension in muscles.

- Around the throat the unwanted fat gathering.

- Nasal passageway is obstructed.

If your personal efforts fail to prevent snoring than seek advice from your physician or otolaryngologist i.e. the ENT surgeon (ear, nose and throat). If you wish to try dental application to stop your snoring, you will have to find a specialized dentist specializing in these domestic devices.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) : A machine placed by your bedside blows pressurized air into the mask which you wear over your face or nose that helps you to keep your airway open while sleeping.

Lower jaw positioners, dental appliances and Oral devices : Dental devices helps you open your airway, which are similar to those used as mouth guards and which are worn by athletes. These dental devices helps you cure your snoring by bringing your tongue or lower jaw forward while you are sleeping.

Most of the dental devices are flexible. These dental devices can be fitted around your head and chin to adjust your position of lower jaw, while others are acrylic and can fit inside your mouth. You can get the help from a dentist specializing in sleeping disorder to fit you any one of these devices.

Surgery :

There are some surgeries, which help you cure your snoring problem. Some surgeries, which include Adenoidectomy, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), which removes tissues or corrects abnormalities surgically by increasing the size of your airway. A surgeon perform varies operations of removing adenoids, tonsils or the excess tissue, which is at the back of the throat or inside the nose. A surgeon can also reconstruct the jaw. He can perform all these various types of operations by using laser, a scalpel or micro waving probe.

A new surgery named as the Pillar procedure or Palatal implantation has shown significant results to help cure snoring. In this surgery small plastic implants, which are less than an inch long in size, are inserted using a syringe like instrument into the soft palate. This operation can be performed under local anesthesia in doctor's office. This surgery cause little pain and very mild side effects. Around the plastic implants the scar tissue builds up. This causes the tissue of the soft palate to become stiff which helps to cease the vibrations that cause snoring. The negative aspect of this surgery is the expense. Most of the insurance does not cover surgery for snoring.

You can seek the advice of your doctor or dentist in order to discuss the available medical treatments, which will help you to decide the cure for snoring problems.