Do You Need To Have Surgery To Stop Your Snoring?

By Rudy Watkins

One single method for stopping yourself from snoring will not work for every person in every situation. For some, the only real solution for snoring is surgery.

The type of surgery needed to stop snoring is different for each person. Deciding which one is right for you is done by considering your body and the root cause of your snoring.

The type of surgeon you would consult to find out what your best option is would be a otolaryngologist. They specialize in the ears, nose and throat. Unfortunately, many insurance companies consider snoring surgery a cosmetic procedure and don't cover the costs.

LAUP

One of the most common types of surgery for snoring is uvulopalatoplasty, otherwise known as LAUP. In an LAUP procedure, a laser is used to cut away the uvula (the dangling tissue at the back of your mouth) to reduce its contact with the throat.

The surgery helps individuals whose snoring is related to airway blockage from the uvula.

Somnoplasty

Also common, radio frequency tissue ablation, RFTA, can eliminate snoring problems. Having recently been approved by the FDA, the procedure is called somnoplasty.

RFTA also makes the uvula smaller and keeps it from touching the throat. Results are typically seen from RFTA after a series of procedures have been preformed. Since not much time has passed since the FDA acceptance of RFTA, little research has been done regarding its results.

Coblation-channeling is another modern development for snorers. In this surgery, radio waves are used to make airway tissues smaller in hopes of opening up obstruction. This surgery is extremely new to the medical community, so very little data is available on it.

Repose

Yet another recent procedure is called tongue suspension, going under the trade name Repose. This type of surgery keeps your tongue from falling back and blocking the airway during sleep.

During this procedure the doctor places a screw into the lower part of the jaw bone and stitches are placed beneath the tongue so that it remains in the right place while you sleep.

The last procedure we'll look at is nasal deviation surgery. Blockages in the nose or a deviated septum can cause restricted breathing and lead to snoring. This surgery helps to remove those blockages.

This surgery can produce one positive side effect; it can improve normal breathing throughout the day. For this reason, its cost is normally covered by insurance companies.

As with any serious procedure, you need to get professional advice before considering anything. Talk to a health care professional about your snoring to get an informed opinion of the best choice of treatment for you.

About the Author:

Are you wondering what you can do about snoring and sleep apnea? A look at some sleep apnea statistics will tell you that you're not the only one dealing with it. Learn how to identify sleep apnea as well as the treatments for it on the Apnea Guide website at http://www.apneaguide.com