Snoring can be a warning sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which requires treatment to avoid complications.
Snoring is a condition in which the soft tissues in the nasopharynx vibrate when air flows through, creating sounds during sleep. Snoring can be very quiet or loud enough to affect people around you.
Master, Doctor Nguyen Van Ngan, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, said that almost everyone snores from time to time, usually in the elderly, overweight, obese, or drink alcohol. and sedatives, chronic nasal congestion, small or receding jaw. People with abnormal nasopharyngeal structures such as large tonsils, deviated nasal septum, large tongue, enlarged soft palate, narrow lateral pharynx… are also prone to snoring.
If the frequency of snoring is not frequent, treatment is not required. In cases of frequent snoring, warning signs of sinusitis, nasopharyngeal tumors, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) require treatment.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous and common disease but few people know about it, according to Dr. Ngan. This is a condition in which the upper airway becomes repeatedly obstructed during sleep, reducing or completely stopping the flow of air into the lungs, reducing oxygen saturation in the blood. The time of apnea and hypopnea is usually over 10 seconds, then the patient is aroused and suddenly wakes up with shortness of breath.
In addition to snoring, people with this syndrome also have dry mouth, nocturia, waking up in the middle of the night, fatigue after waking up, headaches, loss of concentration, daytime sleepiness, memory loss, and decreased sexual ability. … This leads to a decline in quality of life, poor work performance, and potential risks of labor and traffic accidents. Patients are also likely to suffer from many dangerous cardiovascular diseases such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, difficult-to-control hypertension, metabolic disorders, and sudden death if not treated.
Dr. Ngan said many people who snore have sleep apnea. However, only a small number are diagnosed and treated. In most cases, it is not recognized early until unusual breathing or snoring sounds attract the attention of people nearby.
People who have a habit of snoring should go to a respiratory medical facility for examination. In addition to performing some tests; ENT endoscopy; Doctors prescribe polysomnography or respiratory polygraphy to diagnose the cause and severity of snoring.
If there is only simple snoring or mild sleep apnea, the patient may be prescribed lifestyle changes to reduce symptoms such as weight-loss exercise (if overweight); Minimize drinking alcohol and coffee before going to bed; quitting smoking; sleep on your side; Avoid using sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs… If snoring is caused by problems with the nose and sinuses, diseases of the mouth and throat… it is necessary to treat thoroughly with oral medications or topical sprays.
If lifestyle changes are ineffective or the apnea is moderate to severe, other treatments may be prescribed. Depending on the cause of airway narrowing, the patient may need to wear devices to support airway expansion such as tongue retainers, mandibular traction devices…
Dr. Ngan said continuous positive airway pressure ventilation (autoCPAP) is also a highly effective method. The patient wears a mask that covers the nose or both nose and mouth. The machine creates continuous and sustained air pressure that helps keep the upper airway open, preventing narrowing or collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Under close remote monitoring by doctors, about 97% of patients can stop snoring when treated with a ventilator, combined with a healthy and scientific lifestyle and diet.
In case the patient is intolerant to the ventilator or has abnormalities in the nasopharynx such as tonsil hypertrophy, deviated nasal septum, etc., tonsillectomy surgery, adenoid curettage surgery, or pharyngeal correction surgery or septum repair surgery is required.
Dr. Ngan recommends that there is currently no specific medicine to treat snoring. Patients should consult a doctor before use. Self-medication can cause respiratory and ear, nose and throat problems to become more severe