What causes snoring?
Snoring is caused by the vibration of tissue at a variety of levels in your nose and throat. It may be due to such problems at any one (or a combination) of the back of the nose, the palate, the back of the tongue, or the side walls of the throat.
Snoring is increasingly common as we get older, as the muscles of the throat and nose weaken, become more floppy, and are thus less able to hold the airways open while we sleep. Statistics show that up to 40% of men over 30 snore, and up to 70% over 65. Women are not immune either, with 20% said to snore too. These figures are probably an underestimate of the true percentages, as some people may be unaware that they snore, or sleep partners may suffer in silence or end up not sleeping in the same room as the snorer to ensure a good night’s sleep themselves.
How can I cure my snoring?
Lifestyle factors such as being overweight and drinking excess alcohol have been shown to be direct contributors to worsening snoring, and are definitely worth working on in the first instance.
Surgery to your nose or throat may be appropriate to help your snoring, but it is vital to properly diagnose the level at which the snoring is occurring before considering this — there is no ‘one size fits all’ surgical solution to snoring, as the cause is different for each individual. We will take great care to properly assess and diagnose what treatment is most appropriate for your snoring, and will only recommend surgery if we think it will help you. This will be done via a combination of outpatient assessment and sometimes also a camera examination of your nose and throat while under sedation in theatre (sleep nasendoscopy).
If surgery is not appropriate, it may be that non-surgical solutions such as a mandibular advancement device (worn in the mouth at night) are suitable, and this is something we can advise you on and arrange to be fitted through dental or maxillofacial colleagues if appropriate.
We are very sceptical of non-evidence-based remedies such as rings and throat sprays which are bought over the counter by desperate snorers. These are not wise investments — it is far better to be properly assessed and advised before the correct, targeted, proven treatment is started for you.
For people without an obvious surgically correctable problem, there is recent evidence that an ‘exercise regime’ for your throat muscles can help snoring, as suggested by an ENT consultant colleague in London (in the book ‘Stop Snoring the Easy Way’ by Dr Mike Dilkes and Alexander Adams). You may wish to try their shortened two-minute exercise regime:
“Start with your mouth open as wide as it can go and your tongue protruding out as far as it will go. Whilst holding these two positions, begin moving the extended tongue in an up, down and side-to-side movement. After two revolutions of these movements, begin humming the national anthem in as deep a pitch as you can, and continue until the end of the song or for at least two minutes, whichever comes first.”
What is obstructive sleep apnoea?
Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is a condition characterised by snoring and disrupted sleep caused by blockage in your airway whilst asleep. Blockage in the airway causes dips in your oxygen level, and the body responds by waking you up in order to breathe more effectively. This causes poor sleep quality and leads to waking up in the morning unrefreshed, with consequent daytime sleepiness.
Patients with OSAS may be more prone to heart and lung problems if this is left unchecked, and the associated daytime sleepiness can cause significant problems at work and at home.
Patients with suspected OSAS need careful assessment of their nose and throat by us, and an overnight sleep study to assess night-time oxygen levels. This can be arranged by us under the auspices of respiratory physician colleagues at KIMS Hospital.
Treatment for OSAS once diagnosed rarely involves surgery to the nose or throat, but more usually involves a combination of weight loss, a mandibular advancement device, and/or a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation mask worn on the face at night.