Surgery may seem an extreme method to control or cure a person's snore, but when the snoring is actually blighting their life, it may be the only method that will work for them Snoring can cause a huge amount of problems for people and has even been known to break up relationships because the snorers partner cannot cope with the incessant lack of sleep they have to endure.
It's important though before even thinking about surgery that all other options have been explored. Included in these options are lifestyle changes that can be made which may have the desired effect. This usually entails looking at the weight and body mass of that person and also whether they consume large amounts of alcohol. (These are very real trigger factors for snoring).
Alcohol can be a real problem for snorers as this relaxes the muscles surrounding the airways. Unfortunately this can cause snoring to become worse than it normally is and even lead to a condition known as sleep apnoea.
The weight of the person is important, because it is often found that fatty tissue around the neck area constricts the air passages which make the snoring worse.
If surgery is to be considered, then a form of surgery that can be used to control snoring is uvulopalatoplasty. (LAUP). LAUP is a relatively new procedure and has been found to be effective in reducing the snoring in most of the people treated.
A hand held gun is used in LAUP treatment. It removes any excess tissue from the soft palate and uvula. Because this operation makes your actual airways wider, the vibrations which cause the snoring are decreased.
Luckily it’s a relatively simple procedure and can be done by a surgeon under a local anesthetic. The operation itself takes about 30 minutes and the patient does not have to be admitted to hospital unless the surgeon is concerned about any after effects that may occur.
Unfortunately it is not always a success the first time, and some people who have a very severe snoring problem find they have to go back for a subsequent treatment. It has even been known for some people to need up to six treatments before the operation can be considered a success. If more treatments are needed, then they are usually carried out four-six weeks apart. Obviously the more treatments that are needed, the more expensive the treatment becomes.
The beauty of LAUP, means there are no serious side effects to worry about. Obviously the patient will have a very sore mouth and throat area for a number of days afterwards, but once this has healed, the benefits can be enormous. This includes both the patient and their spouse and family actually managing to have a good nights sleep, thus leading to increased fitness levels not to mention relieving the emotional stress that snoring can cause.
In some cases if a patient wishes, the surgeon can raise or lower the pitch of their voice. However this is not really anything to do with snoring and is a separate issue.
