Snoring treatments have been almost as many as the number of snorers. Attempted remedies have included behavioral modification, devices to reposition the jaw and tongue, weight loss, and surgery. Unfortunately, many of these treatments have had limited success. Or they are too involved to make the "cure really worth the treatment." (Some treatments work by keeping the offending snorer awake all night!) A new treatment called Somnoplasty has been developed to address the problem of excessive vibration of the soft palate and uvula during sleep. It takes a new approach to snoring. Somnoplasty is a method for reducing habitual snoring. It uses low-power, low-temperature radiofrequency energy to create child snoring alex clerk apnea finely controlled coagulative (clotting) lesions beneath the lining (the mucosa) of the soft palate and uvula. These lesions are eventually resorbed (reabsorbed) over several months, causing stiffening of the palate and a reduction of tissue volume, which in time leads to resolution of snoring. Somnoplasty is performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient setting. It takes on the average approximately 30 minutes. Unlike laser procedures, Somnoplasty is essentially painless and minimal recovery is required. After the procedure, there is some swelling of the back of the throat. This often will cause a paradoxical increase in snoring for several weeks after the surgery. But then the snoring decreases. Results are snore guard alex clerk apnea judged 6 to 8 weeks after the procedure. Depending on the degree of snoring, the Somnoplasty procedure may need to be repeated a second time. Anyone who is considering treatment of their snoring requires a careful examination by a physician trained in sleep medicine. Severe snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious condition in which the snorer stops breathing repeatedly during the night. In persons suspected of suffering from sleep apnea, an overnight sleep study is done to test for the presence of sleep apnea or any other pathological sleep disorders. Untreated sleep apnea may lead to high blood pressure, fatal heart conditions, psychological hypoxemia sleep apnea children alex clerk apnea problems, and excessive
