Snoring is no laughing matter for the snorer themselves – or for those who have have to put up with it, writes CONOR POPE
WHILE SNORING is easy to laugh at, there really isn’t a whole lot that’s funny about the condition for the snorer or the unfortunate who might find themselves trying to sleep in the same bed as them.
It can have a devastating effect on relationships, with one side of the bed suffering from chronic crankiness as a result of sleep deprivation and the other side becoming equally miserable due to the poor quality of the sleep they get because of their own snoring, not to mention the poking and the grumbling coming from their partner.
An indication of how commonplace snoring is can be gleaned from the country’s pharmacy shelves which are packed with “cures”. There are nasal strips, lozenges, sprays and rings which promise to solve the problem, but while they may work for some people, their long-term efficacy is questioned by many experts in the field.
Almost half of adults snore at least occasionally. Up to 70 per cent of men over the age of 60 are habitual snorers, with 50-60 per cent of women of the same age snoring. That number falls to around 15 per cent in men aged under 30.
It is important to make the distinction between snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a disorder, in which people periodically stop breathing while asleep.
The Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust estimates that up to 12,000 people in the Republic have a severe version of the disorder, with many going undiagnosed. Some sufferers move from deep to light sleep more than 30 times an hour leading to chronic sleep deprivation.
OSA can cause impaired memory and concentration, increase the risk of anxiety and depression, chronic headaches, chronic heartburn and, in the most serious cases, lead to a significantly increased risk of hypertension, coronary artery heart disease and stroke. According to an ongoing study in the US, OSA raises the chances of dying early by as much as 46 per cent.
It can be treated effectively once it is diagnosed and a range of overnight sleeping aids, such as the CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, can help alleviate the condition by forcing the airway to stay open, thus preventing the throat from collapsing.
While more routine snoring is clearly not as serious, it is without a doubt a major problem for some people, says Dr Mary Bresnihan, an ENT consultant based in Sligo. And it is one which is notoriously difficult to treat, although depending on the root cause of the problem there is a multiplicity of treatments available.
She says problem snoring is most commonly found in people who are overweight, with those who have a neck size of over 17 more likely to have a problem. Their airways tend to be narrowed and they also lose muscle tone and the most effective, low-cost treatment in many cases is weight loss, she says.
Other causes of snoring which can be treated surgically include septums which are slightly deviated, hypertrophic or enlarged tonsils and floppy uvulas.
People considering surgery need to assess how much the problem is affecting them or their family, says Bresnihan. It can have a devastating psychological affect on some people and if it has reached the stage where family life is negatively affected or couples are being forced to sleep apart, then it is certainly worth considering.
She warns that while there are a number of surgical procedures available, success is not guaranteed and the problems can return even after successful procedures.
Dr John O’Brien, a Dublin-based dentist, treats snoring with a purpose-designed dental appliance not unlike a gumshield, which is worn at night to keep the throat and jaw taut. “I think it is very important that people are aware that snoring is not a joke as for some couples it is a very serious problem with a simple solution that most are unaware of,” he says.
“Most people will have tried nasal sprays and nasal strips with no benefit. Not being able to sleep for a night is no joke, but not being able to sleep night after night with a chronic snorer is certainly no joke. I have spent 10 years treating people for snoring and I have heard all the stories at this stage.”
Before O’Brien treats patients they have to be assessed by a sleep specialist so OSA can be ruled out. He says that when scientists were researching OSA in the early 1980s, they found that when the lower jaw was held in a forward position people did not snore.
Once the oral appliance is fitted, people get used to it very quickly, he says and claims it has a success rate of close to 100 per cent. “Most people are unaware that snoring can be treated. They come to me after trying everything else on the market without any success,” he says.
“People are wandering around not realising they are half asleep and it is only after they have used the appliance for a while do they realise the difference a good night’s sleep makes.”
While Bresnihan cautions that the dental device is not going to work on everyone, it is a non-surgical solution and it is always worth trying something non-surgical first. It may not be for everyone but it is one of many avenues that people can explore.
