Snoring

Snoring is no joke!

Snoring - Basics

About one half of American adults snore, with over 35 million of them snore on a regular basis – meaning tens of millions of people are suffering every night with the noise and subsequent negative effects of receiving disruptive, poor-quality sleep. Snoring is more than just a social issue, it could be a sign of a serious medical condition called sleep apnea.

Snoring affects more than just the sufferer, often placing a tremendous strain on relationships and marriages. The spouse of a snorer usually suffers night after night, receiving poor quality sleep which can lead to reduced daytime functioning and strained relationships.

What Causes Snoring? - Normal Breathing

When you breathe normally, air passes through the nose and past the flexible structures in the back of the throat (the soft palate, uvula, and tongue). While you are awake the muscles hold the airway open. When you fall asleep, these muscles relax, but usually, the airway stays open.

Obstructed Breathing / Snoring

Airway blockage is the root cause of all snoring problems. The “sound” of snoring comes from the uvula, the back of the tongue and other soft tissues of the throat “flap” as air passes over them during sleep. It's very much like the sound a flag makes when it waves in the wind. This can happen even when the tissues are normal size because when you fall asleep the muscles in the throat, soft palate and uvula relax.

Snoring worsens when the muscles in the back of the throat are too relaxed, either from sleep-aiding drugs, muscle relaxers or alcohol consumption, therefore blocking the airway.

Snoring can also be caused by:

• A large uvula and soft palate
• Nasal congestion
• A deviated septum (misalignment of the central structure of the nose) or other obstructions in the nasal and pharyngeal (throat) airways
• Excessive weight gain
• Large tonsils
• Adenoids
• Small or retruded jaw (especially in children)
• Narrowing of airway during pregnancy.

Issues Associated With Snoring

Snoring is a serious problem both socially and medically. It often disrupts marriages and causes countless sleepless nights for bed partners resulting in a loss of connection between spouses.

Medically, snoring can be the precursor of obstructive sleep apnea, which has been linked to heart failure, high blood pressure, and stroke. In fact, a new study has shown that loud snoring itself can have devastating consequences. An article published in March, 2008 stated that loud snorers had 40% greater odds of having hypertension, 34% greater odds of having a heart attack and 67% greater odds of having a stroke than people who did not snore.

Medically, snoring has been linked to/associated with:

• Repeated deprivation of oxygen to the brain – this can cause high blood pressure which can damage the carotid arteries on each side of the neck. The carotid arteries carry oxygen to the brain. The damage can lead to the development of cholesterol and calcium containing plaque which further restricts blood flow to the brain and can increase the risk of a stroke.
• A report from the University of California School of Dentistry found that 21% of men who snore had hardened blockages in their carotid arteries.
• In its own right, snoring has been linked to the increase of Type II Diabetes
• In children, snoring is associated with an increased rate of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Note: If your child snores, speak to your pediatrician about the problem. Nose and throat problems as well as obesity may be the cause. Treating these conditions may help your child sleep better and keep your child's mental and physical development on track.

The negative effect snoring has on your partner can be just as serious:

• Living with a snorer can strain even the most dedicated relationship, which may lead to dissension and in some case, divorce.
• If you are kept awake night after night by a bed partner's snoring, you are not getting the sleep you need.
Sleep deprivation can lead to irritability, muddled thinking, illness, poor performance at work and drowsy driving.
• When a spouse is disturbed by snoring often times, they will move to a separate bedroom. A recent study concluded that over 75% of snoring couples slept apart.
• The effect of the noise on a sleeping partner of a snorer can raise blood pressure in direct relation to the intensity of the noise. High blood pressure is a known risk factor for stroke, heart disease, kidney disease and dementia.
• Recent studies show that a snorer's bed partner on average may lose the equivalent of 2 hours of sleep every night.

The Pillar® Procedure.

A minimally invasive treatment for snoring.

The Pillar® Procedure is a minimally invasive treatment option for both snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea originating from the soft palate. This procedure is office-based, requiring only a local anesthetic. During the Pillar Procedure, tiny implants are placed into the muscle of the soft palate designed to reduce the palate's tendency to flutter during sleep and/or block the airway.

The Pillar Procedure takes about fifteen minutes to perform. This procedure is associated with minimal discomfort, and most patients return to work the same or following day. Dr. Pecenka and Dr. Herald will be happy to refer you to several surgeons who can perform the procedure.

Visit www.pillarimplant.com for more information about the Pillar Procedure for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

The snoring information was courtesy of www.mysleeptest.com.