Snoring & Sleep Apnoea – Treatment is Key

fitness womanA lot of people snore and many think that this is harmless. However, snoring can be a bothersome symptom not only to the sufferer but also to the bed partner. Snoring may be a sign of sleep apnoea, a condition which can have seriously negative impacts on your health. An article from http://wakemedvoices.org has featured some facts about snoring and sleep apnoea.

  • Untreated sleep apnoea can eventually lead to hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, heart problems or stroke.

  • Snoring can be caused by poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat, alcohol/sedatives intake, excessively bulky throat tissue, long soft palate and/or uvula and obstructed nasal airways.

  • Adopting an athletic lifestyle can develop good muscle tone and help you lose weight.

  • Avoiding tranquilizers, sleeping pills and antihistamines before bedtime can help treat sleep apnoea.

  • Avoiding alcohol for at least 4 hours and heavy meals/snacks for 3 hours before bed can also help treat sleep apnoea.

  • Other lifestyle changes include establishing regular sleep patterns, sleeping on your side rather than your back and tilting the head of your bed upward by 4 inches.

  • The use of an oral appliance worn at night can help pull the lower jaw forward and open the airway.

  • The CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine can be worn at night. It is comprised of a facial mask that blows air into the mouth to open the airway.

  • Radiofrequency ablation is a process by which controlled, low-power radiofrequency energy helps create lesions in the back of the throat. Over 6-8 weeks, the lesions are naturally resorbed, reducing tissue volume and stiffening remaining tissue.  

  • In the Pillar procedure, three tiny inserts are placed in the soft palate to help reduce the vibration that causes snoring and prevents airway obstruction. The inserts add structural support and help increase the structure of the soft palate. This procedure is less invasive and less painful than other surgical procedures and is completed in one, short office visit.  It is also cleared by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

  • For severe sleep apnoea, there are more aggressive treatments that can help, such as surgery to reshape part of the palate, tonsil removal surgery and also nasal surgery.  

Read more here:

http://wakemedvoices.org/2014/01/snoring-sleep-apnoea-treatment-is-key/

Image Courtesy of marin / freedigitalphotos.net

Somnowell Inventor - Visiting Professor Simon Ash FDS MSc MOrth BDS

Prof. Ash is the inventor of the highly successful SOMNOWELL Chrome device for snoring and sleep apnoea.

The Somnowell Chrome is made to exacting standards in the Somnowell laboratory under the supervision of Visiting Professor Simon Ash. Prof. Ash and his master technicians create each Somnowell Chrome device using their wealth of experience and expertise.

Prof. Ash works at the forefront of his profession. He is a Consultant and Specialist Orthodontist with over 30 years clinical experience, with a special interest in sleep related breathing disorders, TMJD, and bruxism. He currently works in Harley Street London and two private hospitals in London as part of a multi-disciplinary team managing snoring and sleep apnoea, and is Visiting Professor of Orthodontics at the BPP University.