Stop Snoring. Sleep Better.

Why You Snore and What You Should Do about It

Here’s an interesting fact for you: almost everyone snores occasionally. Any number of factors can cause an intermittent bouts of snoring. However, frequent snoring can be a sign of deeper health issues and, more importantly, it can be destructive to the relationship with the sleeping partner. An endless list of treatments and cures exist. Some are are bona fide. Others are voodoo. At The Snoring Center, we promote rational, long-term treatments that provide significant relief from problem snoring. However, whatever form of treatment you choose, we do advocate that you understand all the causes and available treatments for persistent snoring.

If you snore, you likely have too much tissue in your airway. This tissue can vibrate and cause snoring. It is important to address this physiological condition…as opposed to addressing the symptom. The excess tissue can cause a narrowing of the airway and this can be caused by physical abnormalities in the throat or even poor sleeping posture.

The most common causes that lead to snoring problems include:

  • Physical Build: a cleft palate, enlarged adenoids or a narrow air passageway contribute to snoring.
  • Age: The older you get, the more narrow your airway becomes…and the muscles in your throat tend to relax more. This can cause a collapse in the airway that prevents air from flowing in and out freely.
  • Being overweight: The excess tissue caused by fatty tissue can restrict the airway.
  • Nasal issues: Blocked airways are an obvious cause of snoring.
  • Sleeping on your back: This position can cause your throat to relax and block the airway.
  • Alcohol and tobacco use: These can also lead to a relaxation of the muscles in the back of the throat.

To address the basic problems of snoring, there are a few lifestyle changes that may be effective. These include:

  • Exercise: An overall increase in your body tone can equally increase in the improved tone in your throat muscles.
  • Lose weight: A reduction of the fatty tissue in your throat can potentially stop snoring in its tracks.
  • Avoid sedatives and alcohol: Especially immediately before going to bed.
  • Stop smoking: It irritates the tissue and muscles in the throat which, in turn, causes a narrowing of the airway.

When it is time to turn to medical treatment to stop snoring, there are several options. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is a common treatment that utilizes a machine and a mask to force the airway to remain open during sleep. It is also the preferred treatment for sleep apnea. Unfortunately, many patients simply can’t tolerate the discomfort of the mask or the noise of the machine when they sleep.

Oral devices exist to reposition the lower jaw to maintain the airway’s opening. These can be effective although some patients also find these mouthpieces to be uncomfortable as well.

Surgery is a viable option to address the physiological problems that cause snoring. Recovery time can be extensive (two weeks or more) and extensive discomfort is a common problem.

At The Snoring Center, our board-certified physicians specialize in next-generation, minimally invasive surgical treatments designed to provide significant relief from problem snoring. Treatments can take place the same day as the consultation and the entire process can be completed in less than an hour. Our patients return their normal activities immediately.

The advanced, minimally-invasive, office procedures we utilize include:

  • The Pillar® Procedure
  • Coblation Turbinate Reduction
  • Palate Coblation
  • RFA
  • Laser Tonsillectomy
  • Home Sleep Study
  • Oral Appliances
  • Snoring Surgery
  • CPAP

If you snore, take the time to understand why…and research the options to stop it. It could be as simple as a few extra hours in the gym each week although it could require something more. If you are looking for a cost-effective, long-term solution to your snoring woes, consider The Snoring Center.  Join the thousands of patients who sleep better at night because they scheduled a consultation with us!

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