Snoring is a serious pathology that interferes not only with the patient himself, but also with his loved ones. If you neglect the problem, over time there will be deviations in the work of all vital systems of the body. Interrupted breathing during sleep leads to oxygen starvation. When the first symptoms of a pathology appear, it is worth seeking help from a specialist who will offer one of the modern methods for solving the problem. Laser treatment for snoring is popular today. Patient testimonials show that only one surgical intervention is enough to restore normal sleep.
Why does snoring occur?
The sound familiar to many is caused by the passage of air through the narrowed airways. The walls of the pharynx touch and rattle. In some patients, snoring occurs only in a certain position of the body. In the most advanced cases, shortness of breath is observed in a dream all the time. Most often, troubles are faced by people who have enlarged tonsils or polyps in the nose. The risk group also includes people withoverweight. If there is a deviated septum, laser treatment for snoring can also be performed. Reviews of specialists show that changes resulting from injuries are not a contraindication to surgical intervention.
Congenital pathologies can also lead to the appearance of an unpleasant sound in a dream. This may be the narrowness of the nasal passages, malocclusion, elongated palatine uvula. Improper functioning of the thyroid gland can also fail to affect the tone of the muscles of the pharynx. Age-related changes are of great importance. The older a person gets, the more prone they are to snoring. Smokers are also at risk.
Why is snoring dangerous?
There is absolutely no need to worry if breathing disorders during sleep are observed only during the period of a cold. If a person does not receive enough oxygen, he will instinctively wake up. But if snoring is observed when there are no signs of deviation during the wakefulness period, you should seek the advice of a specialist. The first problem is that a person does not feel rested in the morning. Snoring interferes not only with others, but also with the patient himself. A person can wake up several times a night, and the brain does not have time to recover. This condition can soon lead to chronic fatigue.
Modern laser treatment for snoring should definitely be used by people who experience a delaybreathing during sleep (apnea). In such patients, the level of oxygen in the blood is significantly reduced. It has been proven that nocturnal heart attacks and strokes are more common in people who suffer from sleep apnea. There have even been cases of death. Therefore, the treatment of snoring (with a laser, for example) should be mandatory. Feedback from experts shows that timely intervention has helped save the lives of many patients.
Diagnosis
People who have a problem, first of all, you need to visit an ENT doctor. The specialist will reveal what structure the airways have, how vibration occurs in the nasopharynx. The doctor will be able to determine the cause of snoring and select the most optimal method of treatment. Unfortunately, not all pathologies can be corrected. In some cases, the patient may need to consult an endocrinologist, as well as a therapist.
The study of night sleep can be carried out using a modern technique - polysomnography. In this way, the specialist can find out if simple snoring is complicated by respiratory arrests. Special sensors are attached to the patient's skin, which record the ECG indicators of respiration and brain activity. Sleep parameters are continuously recorded throughout the night.
What are the ways to get rid of snoring?
Laser treatment is a modern technique that allows you to solve the problem as quickly as possible. However, this option is expensive and not available to everyone. You should start simple. Try to strategize firstproper sleep. The most optimal position for snoring people is the position on the side. Avoid high pillows. It is desirable to sleep on an orthopedic mattress.
At the pharmacy you can buy special devices that are installed in the mouth at night. If you suffer from snoring, how to get rid of it? Treatment of snoring with a laser, as already mentioned, is not available to everyone. And special oral appliances allow you to fix the lower jaw. Due to this, the lumen of the pharynx increases. According to patient reviews, it is not always possible to quickly get used to such devices. But they are highly efficient.
Surgical techniques using laser
A special device that produces a concentrated light beam - this is the laser. Energy in such devices is obtained due to the regeneration of carbon dioxide. Small particles moving rapidly release photons. They are reflected from the mirrors installed in the laser device. This creates a light beam. Thermal energy affects certain areas of the body.
Such surgical techniques are less traumatic and are characterized by small blood loss. It is no coincidence that laser treatment for snoring is popular today. Patient reviews show that it is possible to recover from the operation in just a few days.
Who needs laser surgery?
The technique is applicable for people who do not know how to get rid of snoring. Snoring can be treated with more conservativemethods. But if they do not help, the laser will come to the rescue. As before any other surgical intervention, the patient must undergo a medical examination. First of all, the specialist conducts a study of the nature of the patient's sleep. In addition, the doctor should be informed about the patient's previous illnesses. If nasopharyngeal surgery has taken place, this should be reported first.
A serious step is the treatment of snoring with a laser. The risks and benefits of this method are interrelated. As a rule, patients get rid of snoring within a few days after surgery. However, there are also cases when the problem only worsened after the procedure. Before the operation, the specialist must carefully prepare the patient. Once again, conservative methods of treatment are used. This includes lifestyle changes, the treatment of nasal congestion, the selection of a special orthopedic mattress. Be sure to show laser treatment to patients who have sagging of the tissues of the pharynx. People with sleep apnea are also at risk. Sleep apnea is a serious life-threatening problem.
Who should be treated with laser snoring?
Laser plasty initially aims to eliminate excess tissues of the soft palate, as well as to strengthen them. For people who hold their breath during sleep, which occurs due to obstruction of the nasal passages, surgical intervention will not help. The laser can only be used to remove edematous tissues of the nose, in situations wherewhen treatment with vasoconstrictor drugs is not possible.
No soft palate surgery is performed on patients who have a thickened tongue or enlarged tonsils. This is due to the fact that the area of access to the surface on which the surgical intervention should be performed is significantly narrowed. Treatment of the tonsils using a laser can be carried out according to the method of coagulation in several steps under local anesthesia. The palatine tonsils gradually decrease, which can already have a positive effect on breathing during sleep. Sometimes a few treatments are enough to make the snoring go away.
Laser throat surgery is not well tolerated by people with an uncontrolled gag reflex. In some cases, even local anesthesia does not help. Under general anesthesia, such operations are not performed.
How is surgery performed?
Surgery can be performed both on an outpatient basis and in a clinical setting. On the day of surgery, the patient is advised not to eat or drink anything. In most cases, the procedure is scheduled for the morning. Under local anesthesia, snoring is treated with a laser. Patient reviews show that the intervention is absolutely painless. The operation is compared by many to a visit to the dentist. The patient sits in a special chair, the doctor freezes the larynx with an aerosol. According to safety requirements, the doctor works with the patient in special goggles and gloves. This is mandatory when using a laser.
Snoring is eliminated by correcting the shape of the uvula. The doctor works very carefully with the laser device. In no case should you touch other tissues of the larynx, otherwise the patient will receive a serious burn. Such operations are performed only by highly qualified doctors. Only specialized clinics can treat snoring with a laser. The cost (reviews confirm this information) of the procedure is very high. Some medical institutions will have to pay at least 50 thousand rubles.
Does the operation need to be repeated?
It all depends on the complexity of the clinical case. If the patient suffers from not too intense snoring, only one surgical intervention is enough. If we are talking about apnea or other serious pathologies, you may have to carry out the procedure in several steps. The problem is that a strong uvula sagging cannot always be corrected in one go. In addition, conducting surgery in several stages helps the patient to adapt more easily.
Single-stage laser correction of the soft palate is a traumatic operation that can be characterized by significant blood loss. Domestic experts try not to use such methods.
What are the reviews saying?
Today, laser treatment of snoring in Minsk is widely used. Patient reviews show that most people managed to get rid of the problem. There is official statistics that says that 85% of patientswho underwent surgery, got rid of snoring forever. In 6%, only a slight improvement was observed. But 9% of citizens did not notice the changes at all. Perhaps this is due to the poor quality of the procedure.
Summarize
Snoring is a problem that should not be ignored. Conservative therapy will help if you start it in a timely manner. And in advanced cases, laser treatment for snoring will come to the rescue. Feedback from experts on the technique can be heard mostly positive.
