Snoring
Snoring and other annoying noises at night are caused by narrowing at the back of the throat as the brain is trying to rest at night. Snoring, gasping, popping noises, choking and stop then start breathing are all part of the snoring and sleep apnoea spectrum. They may just appear to be a nuisance to bed partners or roommates, but they are also indicative of a sleep disorder which will cause broken sleep with more awakenings then there should be, leading to lack of refreshment, tiredness and fatigue.
Conservative treatments for snoring revolve around overcoming potentially reversible factors, such as improving nasal congestion, perusing weight loss and modifying body positioning to more side and upright sleep. There are also a number of over-the-counter type treatments which can be useful. Thereafter, more specialised treatments include mandibular advancement splints (custom made anti-snoring mouthguards), CPAP treatment, as well as selective surgeries targeted for the nose or throat.
An expert assessment can be undertaken in our clinics, where we will consider the extent of snoring and how this may affect your general health, to recommend more specific treatments. A plan for treatment usually starts off with establishing a thorough understanding of how snoring impacts on your life, how it disturbs your sleep and whether there are obvious contributory anatomical abnormalities. Assessment usually includes sleep testing to ascertain the amount of abnormality and disruption to normal sleep. This then leads to a plan which encompasses basic manoeuvres addressing potentially reversible factors, as well as more specialised treatments appropriate for you.