ENT – Snoring

Do you snore and want to do something about it?

What causes snoring?

When you sleep, your muscles relax. The soft tissue of the uvula and soft palate is set in motion by the air flowing in and out. It resonates, and the airways are additionally constricted by the tongue base arched backwards and the tonsils. The worse the nasal breathing is (for example, due to a deviated septum, polyps, chronic rhinitis or inflammation), the more you breathe through your mouth, which further intensifies this effect.

Should I see a doctor about my snoring?

If you snore more than 3 nights a week, which bothers you or your bed partner, wake up more often at night, or if you feel tired and unrested during the day, or even suffer from daytime sleepiness, you should go to a doctor’s office with sleep screening.

What will be examined?

You will get a polygraphy device to take with you, the application will be shown beforehand. At home, put on the device before going to bed and sleep as usual. The device measures your parameters during sleep (pulse, breathing movements, position, snoring sound). You will then come back to the office and I will discuss the evaluation of your sleep and possible therapies with you.

Basically, a distinction must be made between two types of snoring:

1. Primary snoring

where there is no health risk, but the partners are disturbed in their night’s rest by the loud noise, and this often leads to tensions in the relationship.

2. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)

where there is a regular decrease in respiratory flow and respiratory arrest during sleep. The sleep phases are disturbed and a restful sleep becomes impossible. This results in dangerous daytime fatigue and daytime sleepiness, has an impact on the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, heart attack.

Here, an exact diagnosis must be carried out in a specialized sleep laboratory as soon as possible!

What can be done about snoring?

In the case of simple snoring, the constrictions are eliminated:

Advice for better sleep hygiene is also given, if necessary, the patient is sent for a orthodontic examination.

In the case of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), I will refer you to a special sleep laboratory, as it requires even more specific diagnostics (polysomnography). The therapy of choice in this case is the provision of a CPAP mask, which also happens in this sleep laboratory.