Surgery for Snoring – Somnoplasty Surgical Procedure

Posted on February 19, 2012 by admin

The following is the first part of an article that I came across in Medicinenet.com. I have posted it here because it gives a very good description of a particular surgery for snoring called ‘Somnoplasty.’ It’s a pretty unique surgical procedure that is carried out through a local anesthetic in the outpatients department and lasts around half an hour. So, for those folks who have tried everything else without any success, it could be an effective option. Of course, your doctor will be able to help you come to a decision. And, as with all surgical procedures, should only be used as a last resort. So please take a couple of minutes to read this interesting article…

Somnoplasty – A Treatment For Snoring

Introduction

During normal breathing, air passes through the throat on its way to the lungs. The air travels past the tongue, soft palate, uvula, and tonsils. The soft palate is the back of the roof of the mouth. The uvula is the prominent anatomic structure dangling downward visibly at the back of the mouth (pharynx). When a person is awake, the muscles in the back of the throat tighten to hold these structures in place preventing them from collapsing and/or vibrating in the airway. During sleep, the uvula and soft palate frequently vibrate causing the distinctive sounds of snoring.

Somnoplasty is an unique surgical method for reducing habitual snoring by removing tissues of the uvula and soft palate. Unlike other approaches (such as the laser), somnoplasty uses very low levels of radiofrequency heat energy to create finely controlled localized burn-areas beneath the lining (mucosa) of the soft tissues of the throat. These burn- areas are eventually resorbed by the body, shrinking the tissue volume, opening the passageway for air, and thereby reducing symptoms of snoring. Somnoplasty is performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient setting and takes approximately 30 minutes.

The following complications have been reported in the medical literature. This list is not meant to be inclusive of every possible complication. It is here for your information only, not to frighten you, but to make you aware and more knowledgeable concerning this procedure. Although many of these complications are rare, all have occurred, at one time or another, in the hands of experienced surgeons practicing the standards of community care. Anyone who is contemplating any type of surgery must weigh the potential risks and complications against the potential benefits of the surgery, or any alternative to surgery.

  1. Failure to resolve or eliminate snoring. Most surgeons feel that about 80% of patients who undergo a somnoplasty will have a significant or complete resolution in their snoring; and an additional percentage of patients will notice reduced levels of snoring such that their sleep partners will report that it’s level is no longer offensive.
  2. Failure to cure sleep apnea or other pathological sleep disorders. Pathological sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, are medical problems which may have associated serious complications. At this time, the somnoplasty procedure has not been proven to cure these disorders.
  3. Nasal regurgitation, a change in voice, or velopharyngeal insufficiency whereby liquids may flow into the nasal cavity during swallowing (rare).
  4. Need for revision, or further and more aggressive surgery.
  5. Prolonged pain, infection, bleeding, or impaired healing.
  6. Thermal or electrical injury to the mucus membranes of the soft palate, uvula, or mouth. This may result in tissue loss by burn.

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Comfortably Eliminate Snoring By Having a Snoring Mouth Guard That Is Highly Effective

Posted on February 15, 2012 by dons1

Snoring loudly? If you ever had the experience of going to sleep close to a person whom snores you understand that it is simply no laughing issue! In fact it is rather irritating and takes the romantic relationship out of the bedroom.

Because loud snoring is undoubtedly such a major problem at present there are various “miraculous” solutions and products to choose from that pledge to get you free from loud snoring. Each time I view an advert similar to this I really start looking at the idea with skepticism, because we don’t genuinely know that this is not some gimmick or hype which tries to make a fast buck from everyone. Before you venture out and squander money on all individuals goods first attempt to discover the particular source of your loud snoring. Difficult to understand but it’s actually not frequently genetic. Also never tend to forget to check with the health care provider.

For starters, you’ll need to establish precisely what causes you to snore. As an example, are you a “tongue based snorer” in which your tongue moves back again and blocks the respiratory tract or perhaps a “mouth breather” in which the air getting taken in might create lots of vibration? Either condition may be on account of abnormalities within the structure of the nasal airway or small nostrils that may force an individual to breathe in by way of your oral cavity. A snoring mouth guard is one particular solution which could do the job if soft tissue vibration could be the difficulty.

A mouthguard for snoring needs to be custom fitted and molded to your teeth to get the best results. When it is employed, the mouth guard functions by maintaining the teeth along with the tongue at the proper place for stopping the soft tissue vibration. There are two sorts of anti snore mouthpieces, the type you’ll be able to mold to adapt by yourself and the the other which must be molded by a dental practitioner. This “mandibular advancing device” in fact positions the bottom jaw and tongue forward somewhere between 0 and 12mm (depending upon the unique mouth guard), raising the soft palate and thus protecting against any kind of obstruction of the airways that might result in snoring.

Using one-size-fits-all snoring mouth guards can be quite irritating for the very fundamental truth it cannot be adjusted to fit ones unique oral cavity. If it cannot be adjusted to fit the mouth area, you could end up with a very painful solution which is extremely ineffective.

By using a stop snoring mouth guard which could be adjusted to match a person’s mouth correctly, it’s going to not merely be considered a comfortable solution but will even treat snoring without leading to undesirable negative effects, such as a change in the bite, tooth movements, irritated upper and lower teeth or jaw joint complications.

Another situation that one-size-fits-all oral devices tend not to tackle is being adjustable. To obtain the most effective outcomes, a stop snoring mouthpiece should reposition the bottom jaw forward in small steps to seek out the best optimum place to end snoring. Every person’s anatomy is unique plus the ideal place of the bottom jaw to end snoring is unique for each and every person.

You could possibly have a little bit of soreness with your teeth and/or jaw muscles for typically the initial few nights as you are getting accustomed with a mouth guard. It may put pressure on the gum area and upper and lower teeth which usually you are not normally used to plus they may feel sensitive when you are chewing. A significant quantity of anti snore mouth guard customers have had exceptional benefits with these devices as soon as they’ve become accustomed to these products. Even men and women suffering with moderate or mild sleep apnea are generally very happy given that they’ve avoided high priced healthcare treatment methods or CPAP devices.

Before you actually begin to use this mouthpiece at nighttime, my advice is actually to attempt some practice initially. Indeed, you will need to get accustomed to the feeling of having a device in your oral cavity when you go to sleep at night.

After utilizing this mouthpiece for a few months, it will be really good for an individual to schedule an exam with your dental professional to perform a comprehensive check up on the condition of your mouth. Typically you are recommended to perform the check up a minimum of once each and every 6 months.

Check out UltimateStopSnoringSolution.com for more information about a snoring mouth guard which is very effective, convenient to use and certain to end one’s own snoring and also put a stop to OSA.

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Issues with Plastic Oral Devices for Snoring and Sleep Apnoea

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Loran Simon

Thermoplastic and heat cured acrylic though at first an interesting material for mandibular advancement devices for snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, are weak in thin section, they generally tend to be porous, and they deform very easily especially if heated. In the oral environment they pick up stains, harbour plaque, bacteria, fungal infestation and are difficult to clean. Many of these materials become brittle with time and the active linking hinges often break and do not stand the test of time.

Plastic and acrylic dentures are known in the business as ‘gum strippers’. Patients will probably complain of the bulk, the inability to open the mouth unless the device is removed. This is a bother especially if the person desires water in the night or is in need of regular nightly oral medication. The bulk severely affects speech, though isn’t known as a cure for sleep talking.

Patients regularly complain of a dry mouth and some report an increase in the frequency of head colds, though this hasn’t been scientifically proven. Most of us are obligate nasal breathers. We don’t like breathing through the mouth and we will naturally try and close off the mouth by bringing the lips together or plugging the opening with the tongue or sucking the thumb.

Thus the unlucky bulk of these plastic and acrylic devices while advancing the jaw, also introduce a mostly undesired vertical opening element. This jaw opening can reduce the amount of the more desirable forward movement. The size of the plastic and or acrylic appliances can in themselves occupy mouth tongue space. These devices have a limited life span and will require frequent replacement. As we age our ability to accept new demands and the wearing of a new and foreign contraption in the mouth decreases.

So in prescribing these plastic or acrylic devices are we storing up long-term problems for the hapless snorer? So what’s the answer, what are we searching for and is there a long term solution?

Loran Simon is a Director at Somnowell. The Somnowell is the first chrome cobalt oral device to be used in the management of snoring and sleep apnoea.

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Get Some Sleep with a Stop Snoring Device

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Jason McDrarren

There are many stop snoring devices on the market that can help you to stop snoring. Some people have luck trying the more simple methods. Other people are willing to spend several thousand dollars to solve their snoring problem. You will have read about the different stop snoring devices and the benefits of each before deciding on the one that is right for you.

Sometimes the simplest methods is the best way to go. Most people snore because they sleep on the back and while on their back, their mouth falls open. An easy solution to this is to sleep on the side instead of the back. Many have successfully fashioned a stop snoring device that attaches to the back and functions to make sleeping on the back very uncomfortable. This helps train them to sleep on the side instead.

Snoring is the result of vibrations is the throat. Although we breath day and night, we only snore while we are deeply asleep. This is because it isn’t until we fall asleep that our throat muscles relax enough to allow snoring to occur. Many of the stop snoring devices deal the problem our throat muscles have with keeping our airways properly open at night while we sleep.

Before considering one of the stop snoring devices, it is good to determine whether your problem is limited to just snoring. Sometimes snoring occurs alongside more serious sleep disorders. Sleep apnea commonly occurs with snoring. Someone with sleep apnea actually stop breathing in the middle of the night. This is a dangerous sleep disorder and must be treated by a professional.

There is a stop snoring device called Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) that is highly effective. This device has a mask that is worn. This mask is connected to a pump that creates enough pressure to keep snoring from occurring. Although effective, this device can be uncomfortable and it is cost prohibitive for many snorers.

Other methods deal with the problem of snoring a different way. Most snorers snore on their back when their jaw falls open. Some beds are used to stop snoring. These beds are usually adjustable and can be set so that a persons head is elevated and the jaw no longer falls open. Buying a new bed is too costly for many people. Of course, there are also pillows available that function as a stop snoring device. These pillows are usually angled to keep the jaw from falling open.

For those that aren’t serious snorers, nasal valve dilators might prove to be effective. These devices usually attach to the outside of the nose and hold the nostrils further open than the normal to make breathing easier. Other variations are inserted into the nose to provide added structural support. These are perhaps the cheapest stop snoring device out there and they provide relief for some snorers.

There are also nasal and throat sprays available that works to relieve congestion and stuffiness. They also lubricate and moisten the back of the throat or nasal passages. These remedies work best for people that are suffering from temporary snoring due to a cold or allergies. Generally it isn’t advisable to use any of these products on a regular basis. There are also some side effects that need to be considered.

There are many different stop snoring devices to choose from. You will likely be able to get relief from your snoring with at least one of these methods. If you are still unsure where to start then it is a good idea to visit your doctor. Your doctor can recommend a treatment plan that’s specific to your unique snoring case.

You can find tons of info about snoring on the Internet. For more information checkout this site on stop snoring device.

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