Snoring isn’t just a noisy and annoying affair. It’s a form of sleep-disordered breathing. Snoring disrupts healthy, sound, restorative sleep and is linked to increased risks for other health problems. People who snore are at greater risk for obstructive sleep apnea, a more serious form of sleep-disordered breathing.
According to scientific research, people who snore also face an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, depression and anxiety. Certain people are more at risk of snoring than others. Snoring becomes more common with age too when our muscles lose its tenacity (becomes flabby).
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| Picture Source: www.sleepdeeper.net |
The last two years, I developed a snoring problem, initially, the snores were tolerable at the early stage but it has gotten worse during the past few months as the snoring sound becomes unbearable at times.
One of the things that drive me to solve this medical condition; is that it makes me feel tired and irritable due to the interference of deep sleep. My snoring has become so acute that it is causing me to wake more often throughout the night as I was literally gasping for air due to times when the blockades got worst which are a condition known as sleep apnea.
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| Picture: www.webmd.com |
During this period, I have tried many methods which include nasal spray, throat spray, neck brace and even exercises to strengthen the throat and tongue muscles, but to no avail.
In my quest to find a solution for my snoring problem; I came across about Fotona Laser Treatment which is available at Premier Clinic. I made an appointment with Dr Vanessa for a consultation session; in which she will assess the severity of my conditions.
According to her; snoring is a rattling, growling or choking noise produced during sleep and caused by obstruction of the windpipe and the vibration the blockage emits. The blockage of the respiratory airways can be due to one problem such as a narrow throat, relaxed tissues of the mouth and throat or vibrations of the soft palate or all of these put together.
The changes in the shape of the tissues of the mouth and throat are the main reason people suddenly begin to snore. If you have naturally narrower airways; the tissue in your throat could touch, block the airflow and cause the tissues to vibrate which will result in a snore. This could also happen if you have weak throat tissue that is loose. It means that the walls will collapse during sleep while our tongue slips back and partially clog the airway, thereby creating a vibration that makes the snoring sound.
After doing a fact-finding discussion on my condition; she did a physical check on my throat and confirm that I was very close to class 4 under the Mallampati Score and propose a 3 session for my treatment.
The Fotona Laser Treatment requires no anaesthesia and is an outpatient procedure that takes about 10 to 15 minutes per session. The course of treatment requires 3-4 sessions, spread out over a two months period.
The laser is designed to stimulate collagen formation in the mucosal area, which results in the tightening of the mucosal tissue in the oropharynx - the centre part of the throat - and opens the airways.
A total of 15,000 laser shot was fired into areas of the throat. What I felt was a little heat sensation when the laser was fired to a particular area. After the treatment, I felt like the throat has a little sore dry throaty feel. This is a common effect and will gradually come back to normal in a day or 2. It is this action which will start to trigger our cells to start the repair work on these tissues.
As the throat can be a little drier, the doctor pieces of advice are that I should consume more water, during these periods 2 to 3 days.
Stay tuned for the final result after my last treatment - probably in a 1.5 months time.
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