Introduction
If you or someone close to you is not sleeping well because of snoring or sleep apnea , visiting your doctor may be helpful. This should be by appointment, because these are not emergency cases and sometimes extra time is scheduled for the evaluation.
A doctor's visit may be particularly important if you are doing any of the following:
- Falling asleep during normal waking hours
- Becoming irritable
- Losing concentration
- Becoming
depressed
Self-Care at Home
Many remedies are available over-the-counter in drug stores, but most do not help correct snoring or
sleep apnea.
- Because you tend to snore more when sleeping on your back, one useful technique is to try to keep from sleeping in that position. One way is to wear a pocket T-shirt backward with a tennis ball in the pocket. You will be less likely to sleep on your back because it is very uncomfortable to sleep on a tennis ball.
- Try losing some
weight. As little as 10 pounds might make the difference.
- Avoid alcohol, especially in the 4 hours before going to sleep.
- Avoid using sedatives and narcotic
medications. Alcohol, sedatives, and narcotics cause relaxation of your throat muscles and increase the tendency for airway obstruction related to snoring.
Surgery
Somnoplasty:This is an outpatient surgical procedure performed with the patient under local anesthetic. It takes about a half-hour. During the procedure, a small electrode is placed in your anesthetized soft palate and heated up. The heat that is generated by the electrode causes the extra soft tissue at the back of the throat to shrink and contract over a few weeks.
Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy involves removing the tonsils and adenoids from the back of the throat.
Your doctor may recommend cutting out certain tissues of the soft palate to remove the obstructing tissue.
Outlook
With proper treatment, most people with snoring-related problems improve. People who have obstructive sleep apnea will most likely benefit greatly with treatment. Any improvement in the condition will most likely result in more restful sleep and a reduction in daytime fatigue.
Sleeping partners appreciate almost any reduction in snoring-related noise.
It is generally well worth the effort to have this condition evaluated.