Treatment of Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Snoring and Sleep Apnea


Snoring and sleep apnea is a health problem due to narrowing of airways in sleep. Snoring is the sound during the breathing due to the vibration sound of the upper airways mucosal surfaces.

Sleep apnea can be described as roughly the next stage of snoring. In other words, breathing stops occur as the airway looseness and closure increase. In this case, if the respiration stops for more than 10 seconds, it is defined as "obstructive sleep apnea". If breathing stops in the same way without respiratory effort (ie there is a problem in the sleep center in the brain) it is defined as central sleep apnea. Almost all of the sleep apneas are "obstructive" or "obstructive". If the number of sleep apnea is more than 5 in 1 hour sleep, this is called "Sleep Apnea Syndrome". The diagnosis of Sleep Apnea Syndrome is based on sleep test (polysomnography - PSG).
Sleep apnea, which is an increasing health problem in industrial societies, and snoring, is easily seen in people who do not move, sit and gain weight.

It occurs especially in people with short and thick neck, with a lower jaw behind, with large tons of tonsils, soft palate or small tongue with drooping cartilage curvature or flesh growth which may cause obstruction in the nose. In other words, as the airway narrows, sleep apnea occurs.

In recent years, the earlier treatment of snoring and sleep apnea syndrome, the higher the success of treatment is emphasized. In patients waiting, the nerves of the muscles that widen the airways are devastated due to chronic vibratory tissue trauma; (paralysis of the muscles that open the throat and pharynx) is shown.

Frequently Asked Questions About Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Below you will find the topics and related answers about the snoring and sleep apnea:

Causes of Snoring

Snoring is a sound caused by tissue vibration after contraction in the upper airways. The causes of snoring in sleep are mainly factors that cause tissue relaxation or cause narrowing in the airways. These can be listed as follows:

- Fatigue and irregular life
- Weight gain and lubrication around the neck
- Smoking, alcohol, antidepressant and muscle relaxant drug use
- Nasal congestion

Many patients ask the question "What are the causes of snoring"? In fact, snoring is usually seen in patients with multiple factors at the same time.

Negative Health Effects of Snoring

Depending on snoring and sleep apnea, blood oxygen decreases during sleep during sleep, stress hormones increase and temporary blood pressure increases. In this case, the insulin stores usually discharge at night. In other words, our body emerges as if it is entering a war. In a short time, causing serious health problems; especially in patients with severe sleep apnea syndrome, the risk of hypertension or heart disease is very high. If there is only snoring without sleep apnea, these risks are much lower.

Symptoms of Snoring and Sleep Apnea

In people with snoring or apnea episodes, one or more of the following symptoms may occur due to recurrent sleep disruption and metabolic stress:

- Tired waking (most patients express tired waking up as if they were carrying a load of sleep)
- Night sweats (especially sweat over the neck area)
- In the morning when the pain in the throat bitter taste and dry mouth (clogging attacks during the secretions of stress hormones and may occur due to reflux)
- Daytime sleepiness (sleep during sleep and need to sleep after kissing)
- Waking up at night with bad dreaming or clogging
- Sleeping when driving, increased risk of traffic accidents (especially patients with sleep apnea who use cars with automatic transmission should be very careful)
- Weight gain and dietary resistance despite dietary stress (dependent on anti-insulin stress hormones secreted in sleep)
- Failure to sleep on the back, sleeping on the side or the face (especially in patients with a large throat in the throat, closed due to a large tonsillar, drooping soft palate, and long small tongue, or those with excessive fat under the chin or covering the tongue root air hole)

In addition to these, there can be many symptoms due to sleep apnea and snoring. Sleep apnea syndrome is a health problem that tears the whole body. Patients with these symptoms should undergo a sleep test and consult an otolaryngologist who is interested in sleep medicine.

Snoring Solution

In patients with complaints of snoring, the general condition of the patient, the airways and current complaints are evaluated. In patients with complaints of snoring, the success rate of treatment can be increased if the regions in the airways are identified as kein. However, it is important to eliminate the above-mentioned risk factors and to fulfill the recommendations given below. Most patients have a "snoring treatment" or "how snoring is treated?", so that snoring and sleep apnea is a complex and difficult health problem, a condition that occurs because of tissue relaxation and airway stenosis, and these problems can be eliminated by "snoring". I can say that the remedy may also be available. Sleep apnea and associated with sleep sweating, day fatigue, sleep quality reduction in patients with complaints of the subject to apply to a kbb specialist and sleep test is the most accurate application. There are many exaggerated and non-evidence-based products on the internet for snoring solutions.

Treatment of Snoring or Sleep Apnea

Snoring treatment is planned after the patient's general condition, endoscopic ent examination, sleep test and, if necessary, sleep endoscopy. As the cause of snoring, the pharynx, tongue base, larynx and nose region are evaluated. In addition to surgical procedures for areas that cover the airway, weight loss as a general measure, removal of the factors that may be caused by the above and regular walking may be recommended. In the treatment of elderly patients with risky, overweight or severe sleep apnea syndromes, surgery should be performed instead of; sleep oxygen therapy (CPAP / BIPAP sleep apnea device or sleep apnea machine) can be given. These devices generally prevent the closure of sleep airways by the compressed air supplied by the mouth or nose. It is applied with face-to-face masks (sleep apnea masks). However, there are also prostheses which can bring the tongue or lower jaw into the mouth as a "snoring prosthesis". In the market there are products that are sold under the name of "snoring spray" and which can reduce the noise of the tissues by increasing the vibration of the vibrating tissues. There are products that "end the snoring device", "herbal solutions to snore", "definitive solution to snore", "natural solution to snore", "snoring to snore" and the products that are not supported by adequate scientific studies which can cause delay in treatment besides loss of time in patients. Snoring in sleep should not always be perceived as a simple case of mere sound. Snoring is a normal condition when we are tired. However, in the case of constant snoring and sleep apnea, the patient should be examined by a physician or a physician who is interested in sleep medicine. Instead of using an unnecessary and ineffective product for snoring and treatment; In the treatment of snoring, it is best to consult the opinions of a relevant physician.

Snoring Treatment With Laser

Techniques such as the "Thermal Welding Method" which are less severe and have less mucosal burns are now recommended instead of old snoring and sleep apnea surgeries. After tonsil, tongue and soft palate surgery laser, a considerable amount of pain is seen in patients. Similar with thermal welding technology some new devices minimizes tissue burns and blood loss during surgery. However, Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is considered a popular and well-received surgical procedure to eliminate snoring and to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (source: Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty for Snoring Medium- to Long-term Subjective and Objective Analysis).

How to Prevent Snoring

The following precautions against snoring may sometimes be sufficient for treatment alone:

- Weight loss
- Applying sportive activities such as walking, jogging and swimming (oral breathing, strengthening the muscles of the larynx)
- Mediterranean style diet and antioxidant natural food defeat
- Tissue loosening of alcohol, cigarette, muscle relaxant and antidepressant drug termination

Cost of Snoring Treatment

Prices for snoring are changed according to the operation and treatment procedures and hospital conditions. Stretching for soft palate, hardening with radiofrequency, pillar implant application; simultaneous nose operations, tonsil and small tongue operations can also be performed. Each patient should be evaluated separately, and snoring treatment should be performed after the airway obstructing areas are evaluated correctly.

Snoring Treatment in Istanbul, Turkey

In Istanbul, services are provided for many domestic and foreign patients related to snoring. Especially modern devices and prostheses, along with soft palate; bloodless and painless tonsil operations or other snoring operations can be performed by thermal welding method. In the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, polysomography tests can be planned.

Treatment of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is considered to be a final stage of snoring. I mean, it's not just sound flicker; airway closure means the middle. For the treatment and treatment of sleep apnea, special treatment is planned.

The photograph shows an endoscopic intraoral examination of a patient who is unable to sleep on his back, sleep apnea and snoring, complains of daytime sleepiness, awaken in the morning and complains of excessive sweating in sleep. It is seen that the tonsils are in contact with each other (kissing tonsils - kissing tonsils), the soft palate is drooping, and the small tongue is edged by vibratory trauma due to long and continuous snoring. The most effective treatment method in patients with this examination (is big tonsils, droopy soft palate and uvula) is Uvulupalatofaringoplasti - UPPP Surgery.

In these patients, snoring spray, snoring apparatus or similar internet products are ineffective. However, it is impossible for the soft palate or small language to be successful again.

Oxygen therapy is given in sleep for sleep apnea (CPAP / BIPAP).
In patients with sleep apnea, if there are nasal obstruction, the symptoms of the disease increase. Therefore, in all patients with sleep apnea syndrome with nasal obstruction, medical or surgical treatment options for nasal obstruction should be considered.

Special Sleep Laboratories in Istanbul

Surgical interventions for sleep apnea, sleep mask applications and sleep tests are performed in many hospitals in Istanbul. However, there are many sleep laboratories that have agreements with health insurances to carry out a sleep test. There are also many centers in the house (in the patient's own bed) that do the sleep test. Chest diseases, neurologists and CBT specialists can work in many institutions with similar centralized sleep disorders. Sleep apnea treatment is a difficult task that should not be underestimated. Patient-specific procedures and patient compliance are very important. All treatment tools that can open the airways are responsible for the success of the treatment. Snoring operations for sleep apnea, oxygen masking with sleep mask (CIPAP / BIPAP) are paid by private health insurance in contracted institutions. Some materials and products used may be out of insurance.

Pillar Palatal Implant

Pillar implants are products that are placed in the soft palate and cause hardening of the palate resulting in the formation of healing tissue in the soft palate. The effect lasts at least 10 years. It is an application that can be completed in 10-20 minutes in office conditions without the need for general anesthesia. 3-5 implants are placed on the soft palate.

It is only suitable for patients who have sagging in the soft palate. Generally it is not covered by health  insurances in Turkey international patient's insurances may policies cover this procedure.
Snoring Treatment With Pillar Implant Video
Here you can watch a video of a simple, snoring treatment method called "Pillar Implant Application".

You can read more details at >> Snoring Treatment With Pillar Implant in Istanbul

Snoring Treatment With Radiofrequency

Today, many otorhinolaryngological applications are performed using radiofrequency devices that eliminate the risk of burning or carbonization in the tissue by measuring the tissue resistance. For the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, various procedures such as soft palate radiofrequency, tongue base radiofrequency, nasal turbinate radiofrequency can be performed.

There are many other things to talk about sleep apnea and snoring. It is best to consult an ear nose throat specialist or sleep medicine specialist who is interested in the subject.

Murat Enoz, MD, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon - ENT Doctor in Istanbul

Private Office:
Address: İncirli Cad. No:41, Kat:4 (Dilek Patisserie Building), Postal code: 34147, Bakırköy - İstanbul
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
E-Mail: muratenoz@gmail.com
Mobile phone: +90 533 6550199
Fax: +90 212 542 74 47


  

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