Snoring Treatments

If you snore, you’re not alone. It is estimated that as many as 90 million Americans cope with it. But your snoring doesn’t just impact you: it can also seriously interfere with your partner’s ability to get a good night’s sleep. What’s more, it can be a symptom of a serious sleep disorder, which studies have shown can result in a range of side effects, up to and including premature death.

If snoring is keeping you or your partner from getting a good night’s sleep, we have great news: you don’t have to suffer anymore! There are a range of different options to treat the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, and even permanently cure your chronic snoring.

Fixing your snoring problem can do more than just ensure you sleep well at night: it could help prolong your life. Let’s go through some of the common causes of snoring, and some health tips to fix the problem.

To get to the bottom of your snoring problem, it’s critical to understand how your breathing patterns change while asleep. But the standard approach of a clinic-based sleep study tends to be inconvenient, not to mention expensive.

There’s an alternative. An at-home sleep study using the latest in mobile diagnostic technology offers a range of advantages over traditional in-lab sleep studies.

1. Greater convenience and comfort. Unlike in-lab sleep studies, which require you to spend a night in a strange and unfamiliar environment, an at-home sleep study allows you to sleep in your own bed, which is both more convenient and can lead to more accurate results.
2. Reduced expense. While any procedure involving an overnight stay in a clinic inherently involves a pretty big hospital bill, an at-home sleep study is vastly cheaper: just bring home a small device and wear it overnight for a few days.
3. Reduced disruption to your daily activities. An in-lab sleep study usually requires you to take time off work or other activities to accommodate an overnight stay. But an at-home sleep study can be done on your schedule, allowing you to continue with your normal daily routine.
4. At-home sleep studies can be just as effective as in-lab studies in diagnosing sleep disorders. Thanks to advances in technology, many at-home sleep study devices are now capable of measuring a wide range of physiological and behavioral parameters, including oxygen saturation, heart rate, and snoring. This means that you can receive a comprehensive evaluation of your sleep health in the comfort of your own home.

An at-home sleep study can be an attractive option for giving you a more convenient, comfortable, and cost-effective way to determine if you have a sleep disorder.

The continuous positive airway pressure machine (CPAP) is the most popular treatment for those experiencing chronic snoring. But there are several reasons why Dr. Krish deliberately avoids prescribing CPAP use for her patients.

1. CPAPs are uncomfortable. Some people find CPAP masks and machines to be uncomfortable or claustrophobic; as a result, they have a hard time falling asleep or sleeping through the night.
2. CPAPs have side effects. Yes, believe it or not, CPAPs can backfire. Due to wearing the mask and headgear for seven or eight hours overnight, many users end up with skin irritation, such as pressure sores, rashes, or acne. Other users experience dryness in the mouth, nose, and throat, which can lead to discomfort, soreness, and even infections.
3. CPAPs are noisy. The sound of the CPAP machine can be disruptive to both you and your spouse or significant other, making it difficult to sleep.
4. CPAPs are expensive. The machines can be pricey. And did you know that many CPAPs require a second machine to clean them? Some insurance plans may not cover the cost of all this.
5. CPAPs are restrictive. CPAP machines can be bulky and difficult to travel with, which can make it challenging to maintain treatment when away from home. Moreover, you’re required to have access to electricity to use them, which means that camping trips may no longer be an option.
6. CPAPs aren’t a cure. The CPAP machine can and does provide immediate relief so that you can sleep through the night. But remember that snoring is a symptom of a deeper problem. And the CPAP only addresses the symptom – it doesn’t fix the underlying problem.

Because of these and similar reasons, Dr. Krish has found that a lot of CPAP users end up not using the machine. Even if they can afford it, the side effects become too annoying or even painful, or the machine just becomes too much of a hassle. It seems pointless to prescribe something that a number of people end up rejecting.