If you’re a snorer there are many products and therapies to select from in your search for the best cure for snoring. There are mouth guards that can reduce snoring, nasal devices and dilators, a snoring chin strap, anti-snoring pillows, hypnosis and exercise therapies.
Before trying any stop snoring therapies it is important to eliminate the possibility of the potentially dangerous condition of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea must be diagnosed by a a doctor or by attending a sleep laboratory or clinic.
It is important to address any underlying health concerns that may be a cause of your snoring.
Another option that is available to a person who snores is to undertake surgery. Under some circumstances this can be the best cure for snoring and although the results may often prove to be disappointing there are several different types of surgery that can be performed.
Palatopharyngoplasty (PPP) is a type of surgery that enlarges the airway at the tonsillar area. The operation can include removal of tonsils and adenoids, shortening a long uvula and partial removal of the soft palate. This is designed to increase the amount of airflow and reduce the amount of vibrating tissue in the throat.
This procedure may only be a temporary method of ending snoring. According to research studies, within two years only fifty percent of the patients that have undergone this surgery report having their snoring stopped or markedly improved.
A less expensive alternative to palatopharyngoplasty is laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) that makes use of laser techniques to shorten the uvula as well as vaporize parts of the soft palate. Though palatopharyngoplasty must be performed under general anesthetic, uvulopalatoplasty can be performed as day surgery under local anesthetic.
LAUP may be slightly more effective than PPP although some studies indicate the failure rate can be as high as 40% for both procedures and the patients do not resolve their snoring problem.
A third type of surgery is cautery-assisted uvulopalatoplasty in which the surgeon uses a heated wire or electrode instead of a laser to burn or scar some or all of the uvula and palate. The success of this form of treatment is similar to other surgical operations to reduce snoring and this procedure is easy to perform and may be less painful than other treatments.
It should be noted, however, that most patients report severe post operative pain with any of these surgical procedures so surgery may not be the best cure for snoring.
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