Sleep is one of man's basic physiological needs. It allows the entire body to regenerate. It is estimated that about ⅓ of a person's life is spent in sleep. Such an important part of life can be disrupted by many stimuli, both external and internal. One common problem is snoring, which often not only disturbs the household at night, but also affects the health of the person struggling with snoring.
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Snoring is a common occurrence and its incidence increases with age. Approximately 20% of men and 5% of women between the ages of 30-35 struggle with snoring, while after the age of 60 it is 60% of men and 40% of women.
Causes of snoring, a symptom of disease
There are many causes of snoring, e.g. obesity, hypertrophied tonsils, hypertrophy of the posterior part of the tongue, impaired nasal patency, reduced muscle tone in the throat and tongue during sleep often caused by medication or alcohol, an elongated uvula and palate, but also age.
Snoring is also a symptom of a condition called obstructive sleep apnoea. This disease is often underestimated by patients, while it affects not only the quality of sleep, but also the cardiovascular system (causes hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke), metabolism, hormones, and concentration during the day.
The symptoms of this disease are mainly snoring, the presence of apnoea during sleep, awakenings during sleep, dry mouth. The disease manifests itself not only at night, but also during the day. In what way? By, among other things, impaired concentration, lethargy, fatigue, morning headaches, impaired libido.
Diagnosis consists of a polysomnographic study, where various parameters are examined during the patient's sleep. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, there are several forms of treatment.
Treatment of snoring
Given the many causes of snoring, it is initially necessary to eliminate those factors that arise from lifestyle. In patients with obesity or excessive body weight, it is advisable to reduce it. In addition, attention is paid to avoiding the consumption of alcohol, which reduces muscle tension, or sleep medication, which has a similar effect to alcohol.
Snoring and its treatment, photo: panthermedia
Intraoral appliances are also used in the treatment of snoring. These include mandibular advancement appliances or so-called CPAP. The CPAP device is currently the most commonly used intraoral device for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea. It works by creating positive airway pressure and prevents snoring and apnoea.
Surgical treatment of snoring
In some patients, treatment with CPAP is insufficient. In such cases, surgical treatment is used. The qualification for ENT surgery is based on an assessment of the airway structure with the help of a number of tests, which will allow the appropriate type of surgery to be selected for the patient. It is worth remembering that the procedure is fraught with failure often in patients with obesity.
One of the most commonly performed procedures is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, which is a plastic surgery of the uvula, palate and pharynx. It is performed in patients with hypertrophy of the soft palate. The operation consists of shortening the uvula, reducing the tissues of the soft palate and pharyngeal wall. The procedure can be performed with or without removal of the palatal tonsils.
Further methods include laser palate plasty, maxillary and mandibular displacement, maxillary and mandibular widening, soft palate thermoablation, and tongue base thermoablation. All these methods eliminate snoring and other symptoms and prevent the development of complications. The patient's quality of life is also improved.
There are many preparations on the market that claim to reduce snoring, such as sprays, tablets, patches and other forms. Sometimes these preparations seem to eliminate snoring. On the other hand, it must be remembered that this is only a symptomatic action and does not treat the cause of snoring. Bearing in mind the above-mentioned complications of the disease, of which snoring is one of the most frequent symptoms, one should not underestimate and treat the symptom on one's own, but consult one's problem with a specialist.
