Snoring & sleeping apnea
Snoring is a very common problem, especially to obese people, which is getting worse as time goes by.Snoring apart from annoying people around, is a worrying situation, as most often it is accompanied by sleep apnea, in other words, sudden interruption of breathing during sleep.
This interruption can exceed 2 minutes and upset the person, who can wake up suddenly as he feels he cannot breathe.
Snoring: Causes
Snoring and sleep apnea occurs mainly in men aged 35-60, who are usually overweight, smoke or drink. Snoring is produced in the throat area of the uvula, arches (the membranes that seem to start from the uvula), the soft palate, the tonsils, the tongue and adenoids
Visiting the specialist ENT Surgeon
That’s why the patient must visit a special ENT surgeon, in order to proceed to a thorough check to determine which is precisely the problem.
The ENT specialist will investigate all possible causes and will propose appropriate solutions for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.
The combination of a rhinoplasty simultaneously with the surgery for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea is very common, in order to achieve the perfect aesthetic and functional result.
Snoring: The clinical examination
Patient will undergo tests to identify the causes of snoring and sleep apnea and get the indicated solutions.
The clinical examination includes endoscopy of the nose, nasopharynx, mouth, larynx, as well as sleep study, possibly radiological examinations and pulmonary and/or Allergy testing.
After all these tests, your doctor will advise you whether you should undergo surgery for the management and treatment of snoring and sleep apnea.
The surgery is called Uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty and it’s an operation that can improve a lot patient’s life
FAQ
The most common questions about snoring and their answers from our specialized ENT Surgeon.
What’s the best treatment for snoring and sleeping apnea?
The most effective treatment is “uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty”. This is an operation which involves a combination of operations: Partial excision of uvula, pharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy, implants in soft palate
Is the result permanent?
The surgery would surely improve breathing, mood and daily life of the patient.
Snoring and sleep apnea depend on many factors such as weight, body position during sleep, alcohol consumption, as well as many others. In most cases surgery is very helpful, and in some cases even leads to snoring elimination.
Adenoids before surgery
Adenoids after surgery
What’s the surgery duration and when do the patient leaves clinic?
Surgery lasts 30-45 min. and patient can leave same day in the evening or next morning the clinic, depending on his general condition.
Snoring in children
Adenoids
In most cases bigger adenoids are responsible for children’s snoring ,that means that the size of adenoids on the back of the nose normally does not cause problems.
When the size of adenoids is bigger than normal, they can cause:
- Difficulty in nasal breathing as they may close completely the airway.
- Difficulty in function of the Eustachian tube.
Adenoids: Symptoms
When the child does not breathe properly through the nose is opening his mouth sometimes even during the day.
Usually children with large adenoids in addition to snoring, stay behind in their body growth, may show lack of attention at school and many times look “tired”.
To deal with all these symptoms ENT specialist surgeon proceeds to adenotomy, that is the removal of hypertrophic adenoids, using conventional equipment, ultrasonic lancet, radio-frequencies or Laser.
The surgery
Adenotomy is an ordinary surgery and lasts 20-30 minutes with permanent and immediate results.
This surgery in children cannot be combined with rhinoplasty, as rhinoplasty can be executed after 16 years in girls and after 18 years for the boys, so they are fully developped.
Post operative instructions
Immediate movement after the operation
- No stitches
- No painkillers
- Preventative prescription of antibiotics, only for 4 days
For further information about adenoids go to the site of Exelixis Medical Institute.
