Snoring is the sound that occurs when the air passes through the narrow space and causes vibration in the soft tissues during breathing during sleep.
The most common causes of snoring can be listed as follows:
• Downward drooping/growth of the uvula
• Weakening of the muscles (alcohol intake and the use of certain drugs can also cause temporary weakening of the muscles)
• Larger than normal tonsils
• Adenoid growth
• Long palate
• Deformations that cause nasal congestion
• Overweight
For the treatment of snoring, first of all, the factors that cause snoring are determined by examination and tests. Nasal congestion, uvula, palate problems, tonsil, adenoid enlargement can be corrected with surgery.
The operations that can be performed for snoring can be listed as follows:
Nose reduction surgery
Septum deviation surgery (curvature of the middle bone of the nose)
Tonsillectomy
Adenoid surgery
Soft palate surgery
Minor language intervention
Snoring is perceived as a simple and normal situation, and is generally handled with the complaint of noise. However, snoring can be a sign of serious diseases. In this regard, it is necessary to consider the symptoms that may occur with snoring as the symptoms of serious health problems.
We can list the symptoms of snoring in children as follows;
• Growth and development retardation
• Developmental problems in the mouth and face area
• Nocturnal urinary incontinence
• Observation of a decrease in school success
• Speech disorder
• Behavioral disorders and hyperactivity
We can list the symptoms of snoring in adults as follows;
• Irritability in the person
• depression
• Hypertension
• Continuation of sleepiness during the day
• Headache in the forehead in the morning
• Sexual dysfunctions
• Dry mouth feeling in the morning
• Increased appetite
• Decreased perception and concentration disorder
Snoring Treatment Methods
Simple snoring can be treated by taking certain precautions. We can list the precautions that adults and people with simple snoring should take as follows;
• Reaching the ideal body weight
• Doing sports and exercises in order to gain a good adeletonus
• Before sleep; not taking sleeping pills, tranquilizers, or allergy medications
• Avoiding alcohol intake 4 hours before sleep
• Avoiding heavy meals 3 hours before sleep
In the treatment of snoring, after a detailed and meticulous examination applied to the person, the most appropriate method should be determined according to the cause of snoring.
In the treatment of snoring;
• Medicated sleep endoscopy
• Flexible laryngoscopy
• Endoscopy with sedation
• Lateral head graph
• Three-dimensional tomography
• A detailed preliminary examination should be performed with methods such as dynamic sleep MRI. Thus, the
pathology causing snoring should be determined and the most appropriate treatment method should be selected.
Is Surgical Operation Necessary?
In the surgical treatment of snoring, first of all, a definitive diagnosis of whether it is simple snoring or sleep apnea should be made. The definitive diagnosis of sleep apnea can be made with a sleep test called polysomnography.
We can list the interventions to be made in the surgical treatment of simple snoring as follows;
• Nasal chamber surgery
• Lower nasal concha surgical procedures (concha)
• Nasal valve (internal angle of the nose) surgical procedures
• Minor tongue-soft palate surgeries
• Adenoid and tonsil surgery, especially in children
In snoring patients with suspected sleep apnea, after a detailed examination, it should be investigated whether there are problems in the nose area, and at the same time, the patient should reach their ideal weight. Then, a definitive diagnosis should be made with the palysomnography test and necessary treatment practices should be determined. In patients with severe sleep apnea, pressured oxygen masks are used during sleep rather than surgical interventions. In patients with mild and moderate sleep apnea, soft palate and minor tongue surgeries, tongue root surgeries and jaw advancement surgeries can be performed in line with the underlying pathology.
* If your snoring is so severe that it bothers others or you
* If you wake up from sleep with difficulty breathing
* If you witness your breathing pause during sleep
* Daytime naps (eg at work, watching TV, reading, on the bus, driving)
* Many people do not know that snoring is a sign of a serious problem; Also, not all people with sleep apnea snore. If the snoring is very severe, there are quiet periods between snoring, and these occur especially while sleeping in the supine position, you should see a doctor.
