Snoring Surgeries

Traditionally, snoring is not considered all that much of a problem. Yes, it may be annoying to those having to sleep around the snorer, and it could possibly even be annoying to the snorer themselves if it becomes disruptive enough. Where normal snoring is concerned, there is a wide variety of cures that are fairly natural and non-invasive. You can try home methods, such as training yourself to sleep in different positions or losing weight. You can buy some products from the store that might help such as throat sprays, nasal strips, or special pillows. If you need an extreme fix, you can even look into special mouth guards that will hold you airways open better.

However, sometimes a person may not have a “normal” snoring problem. Sometimes, someone can have what is referred to as “chronic” snoring, or even have a sleep apnea problem. In these cases, snoring is not only indicative of a larger problem that needs to be addressed, but the snoring problem itself needs to be given adequate attention. If none of the other remedies have worked to abate a snoring problem, and you have been diagnosed with “chronic” snoring or sleep apnea, you do have the choice to consider surgery. There are several different types, all of which require different procedures done to different parts of the mouth or nose, with varying levels of invasiveness and recovery time.

The first, and most successful kind of surgery that is considered is Palatal surgery. These types of surgeries involve altering or removing the soft tissues, uvula, etc. in the soft palate area of your mouth. When you are asleep, since this area is loose and fleshy, it tends to help produce the vibrations that cause snoring. There are several versions of these kinds of surgeries, and they run the gamut from actual surgical removal of your soft palate tissues (tonsils, etc) to a laser procedure that aims to reduce any excess swelling and puffiness this soft palate tissue may have. There is also a procedure that tries to stiffen these tissues so that they are unable to move around and block any air openings, thereby causing snoring vibrations. All these surgeries have different methods, as well as recovery times, levels of invasiveness, and success rates.

There are a couple more snoring surgeries that can be performed, but are considered only for dire situations in which snoring is negatively affecting your health, such as in severe sleep apnea. These options include a type of jaw surgery, which repositions your jaw in a way that opens airways more thoroughly. There is also nasal reconstructive surgery, which can be useful for people whose noses are built in such a way that the cartilage inside is obstructing the flow of air when they breath. This surgery often aims to just shave away or reshape the cartilage in the middle of the nose to reopen these airways. The last option is a tracheostomy – a direct opening into the windpipe that bypasses the regular breathing system altogether. This has been proven to completely alleviate snoring and sleep apnea – however, it is extremely invasive.

Remember to consult a doctor on the matter of chronic snoring, and know that any form of surgery should not be taken lightly.