Sound Sleep
I would like to know, is there any treatment for snoring?
Yes. There are many treatment options for snoring. Snoring is due to lack of adequate space in the upper air passage that leads to turbulence in flow of the ingoing breath. The first step however is to rule out obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which happens when there is recurrent closure of the upper air passage during sleep. The condition is usually seen in approximately 40-50% of heavy snorers. An OSA diagnosis necessitates getting a sleep study, but, if there are breathing pauses every few seconds or you suffer daytime fatigue, then those are important clues that you could have OSA.
If there is no OSA then the treatment for snoring involves multiple choices. These range from positional devices which prevent the patient from lying on his back, to oral appliances to restrict the tongue position, to surgery, which is usually performed by an ENT surgeon. There are newer surgical procedures in the US called somnoplasty as well as a brand new simple outpatient procedure called the Pillar procedure, which is excellent for curing snoring.
Weight loss, avoidance of alcohol, and medications like sleeping pills can also help. Sleep apnea usually requires wearing a device called CPAP, which essentially consists of an air blower which keeps the air passages wide open and eliminates snoring. It has to be worn every night and is hence not well-accepted by some patients. Surgical treatments as well as use of oral appliances may also be effective in selected patients.