Snoring is a recognised medical condition and can indicate serious medical problems such as sleep apnoea, in which the snorer stops breathing and wakes with a loud snore in order to breathe. In severe cases, this can lead to the snorer waking several times during the night thus causing all the problems associated with lack of sleep, both for the snorer and his/her partner.
Snoring, in the main, is caused by a blockage in the breathing passage. This can be as a result of a heavy cold and in such cases is not a permanent condition and there are lots of remedies which can be bought ‘over the counter’ and which are quite effective.
If the snorer is lying on his back (and it is usually the male partner) and if a heavy cold is to blame, a very effective remedy is a good dig in the ribs, administered by the snorer’s partner, with the loud command to ‘turn over onto your side’. If this command isn’t obeyed, then brute force is recommended! If all else fails, the snorer’s long-suffering partner may have to resort to moving to the spare room and the snorer wakes on his own in the morning feeling very sore and more than a bit bewildered!
Other ‘over the counter’ remedies include nose clips, lubricating sprays and special anti snore pillows, etc. There are herbal remedies and pills, essential oils, such as marjoram and lavender, which, in a number of cases, are very effective.
Specially made dental appliances can also be effective in cases of snoring and mild apnoea. These are called ‘mandibular advancement splints’ and work by advancing the lower jaw and pulling the tongue forward. It is recommended that a dentist specialising in this procedure is consulted as ‘do it yourself’ appliances can cause problems to the jaw, teeth and gums.
In very severe cases, surgery may be recommended. This procedure attempts to widen the airway by removing tissues at the back of the throat but this can be quite invasive and there is a risk of adverse side effects, such as scarring, which could result in the air passage becoming narrow and the cure could be worse than the disease.
There is a relatively new treatment, which involves the insertion of three small fibrous strips into the soft palate. This is a short and painless outpatient operation in which the soft palate is made more rigid and snoring and apnoea are reduced and in a lot of cases are eliminated.
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