Put a Halt to Disruptive Snoring

If it sounds like a freight train is barreling through your bedroom each night -- with your partner blissfully along for the ride -- maybe it's time to take action and help put an end to his or her disruptive snoring.

Snoring can be a serious condition that wreaks havoc in the home. Spouses and children of people who snore often endure many sleepless nights, waking up restless and cranky and suffering from a lack of productivity at work or school.

"The sounds of snoring usually don't affect the snorer," says Michael A. Galin, DO, an ear, nose and throat specialist on staff at Wellington Regional Medical Center and Ear, Nose and Throat Consultants of the Palm Beaches. "In many cases, their partners beg them to get help so they can sleep through the night."

If you're causing the nocturnal nuisance, you're not alone. The National Sleep Foundation reports that 90 million Americans sometimes snore, and about 37 million regularly snore.

Treatment May Put Snoring to Bed
Snoring typically happens when the muscles of your throat relax, your airway narrows and the walls of your throat begin to vibrate when you breathe.

If you seek help for excessive snoring, specialists will check for medical problems that may cause it. One possible cause is obstructive sleep apnea, a serious condition that, if left untreated, may lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and other medical conditions.

Typical "garden variety" snoring may not cause health problems, but it may keep your family up all night. The good news is that treatments are available that may reduce or eliminate this type of snoring. Some of these treatments include:

• Dental devices. Custom-made devices ease snoring by holding your tongue in the correct position while you sleep.
• Somnoplasty. During this procedure, radio-frequency probes are placed in the soft tissue in your throat. The probes emit low-intensity waves that tighten the tissue. Stiffer tissue produces fewer vibrations so you are less likely to snore.
• Pillar implants. Tiny implants (the size of matchsticks) are inserted into the soft tissue of your throat. The implants make the tissue stiffer so it's less likely to vibrate.
• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. During this surgical procedure, excess tissue is removed from the back of your throat, opening airway passages. The soft palate is reshaped to make breathing easier.
• Treatment for nasal problems. Procedures to reposition a deviated or misaligned septum -- the wall that separates your nose into two cavities -- may cut down on snoring. Treatment for allergies, which often exacerbate snoring, may also eliminate nighttime noises.

"People should talk with their doctors when snoring becomes a concern," Dr. Galin says. "Treating snoring can literally bring families back together and reduce the embarrassment experienced by many people who snore."

For more information or an appointment with Dr. Galin, please call 561-790-3329.

For more information about snoring, please visit www.wellingtonregional.com and click on Health Information in the left column. Then, click on Diseases & Conditions, the letter S and Snoring.

Michael A. Galin, DO, is an otolaryngologist. He is the associate of Drs. Martin Frisosky and Curtis Emmer with offi ces on the campus of Wellington Regional and in West Palm Beach. For more information or an appointment, please call 561-790-3329.

Wellington Regional Medical Center, 10101 Forest Hill Blvd. Wellington, FL 33414 (561) 798-8500