A guide to snoring treatments

Before any type of corrective action is taken, the snorer should visit a qualified specialist. This doctor will perform a thorough head and neck examination as well as a fiber optic evaluation of the hypopharynx, larynx, palate and nasal airway.

Once a doctor makes a diagnosis of snoring or obstructive sleep apnea, several treatments are available. One of the most commonly performed is somnoplasty. Somnoplasty is a procedure that uses a low power, low-temperature radio frequency energy. This energy is directed at an area in the uvula or soft palate. The treatment lasts for around thirty minutes. The radio frequency energy is directed under the surface layer of the uvula. Small areas at a time are heated just to a point of coagulation. Over the next two months, the tissue is reabsorbed by the body. By doing this, the volume of tissue is reduced and the area is stiffened, which reduces or eliminates the snoring.

The other common treatment for snoring involves a laser. A laser or electrical cautery tool is used to burn furrows into the soft palate. As these furrows heal, the soft palate stiffens and shortens. This procedure is more painful than the somnoplasty, but the laser treatments have been used longer and more is known about the long-term results.

If a doctor rules that the snorer has obstructive sleep apnea, there are different procedures. The main treatment for OSA is a CPAP device or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. This device provides air under pressure, which holds the airway open while sleeping. If the snorer can tolerate having the device on the face, it is almost 100% effective.

The other option for OSA if the CPAP device does not work is surgery. There are many types of surgery available. Which one is used depends on where the obstruction is located. Surgery entails some risk and is painful, with a lower success rate than the CPAP device. Some of the surgeries modify the soft palate and uvula, reduce the tongue base or even create a direct path for air.

In the last few years, several new methods of treatment for snoring have been introduced. Be sure to talk any issues you may have over with your physician. There is no one perfect solution. With so many techniques available now, including a new method that involves an injection of Sotradecol into the palate, something can be found that is suitable.