To answer the question ” how to treat snoring?” several sub-questions need to be answered. For example, who does it and where ?     

There is still no “snorer” in the list of medical specialties. Although, given the prevalence of snoring, such a profession seems to be very important and relevant. Just think: after all, every third or fourth person over 30 snores, and inconsistent snoring associated with increased fatigue, alcohol consumption and other factors is even more common. But which doctor cures snoring? Specialists of several professions undertake this task: ENT doctors, dentists, somnologists .  

How does an ENT doctor work ? As a rule, he prescribes surgical treatment . During the intervention, the specialist removes the excess soft tissue (of course, the operation is performed only if there is an appropriate reason for snoring). The airways become freer, and the walls of the pharynx cease to resonate when breathing. The snoring disappears.   

Unfortunately, sometimes surgical treatment leads to complications, for example, difficulty in swallowing, and in some cases it does not work at all. So, resorting to a surgical method of getting rid of snoring should only be in a situation where it is really indicated, and it should only be done by an experienced doctor.

Dentists can also treat snoring , for example, in the case when the patient has a small lower jaw, as a result of which the anterior-posterior size of the pharynx narrows. For such a patient, doctors will make a special intraoral applicator that will push the lower jaw forward, thus increasing the airway lumen.   

How do somnologists treat snoring ? They examine the person, determine the cause of the disorder and, depending on this, plan the optimal treatment.    

It is “most profitable” to talk to a sleep doctor about snoring.

If the problem needs to be solved with the help of other specialists, the somnologist attracts them. Moreover, when he refers a patient to an ENT or a dentist, he does so quite reasonably, in accordance with strict indications. A patient can, on the advice of a somnologist, go for an operation or consult a specialist for the manufacture of an intraoral mouthguard, and at the same time he can be sure that the means and methods recommended by the somnologist will help him.  

When a person simply turns to an otolaryngologist or dentist without a preliminary somnological examination, there is a possibility that the treatment carried out to him will be ineffective. For example, nowadays people often go to clinics for laser treatment of snoring . There they undergo an operation without preliminary diagnosis, and after this operation only half of the patients stop snoring. In the other half, the snoring is caused by reasons located outside the throat, and as a result, they are in vain to operate … Stupid situation, is not it?  

In some cases, the patient does not go anywhere, but remains “in the care” of the somnologist. In uncomplicated cases, the doctor can give his own recommendations: to reduce weight, give up bad habits, use certain medications for snoring. With complicated snoring – obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (this is a very dangerous condition!) – patients are recommended to use special devices that are used during sleep and create a constant flow of air in the airways, eliminating snoring and respiratory arrest during sleep.    

Below is an interview with our patient who has been using CPAP for 7 years. You will find out how much his state of health has changed over the years, whether there were any breaks in treatment, whether there were any difficulties in using the device. What advice would the patient give to people who are experiencing the same symptoms of the disease that they had before starting treatment?