Yes, snoring has treatment that should be done according to its cause, which can be obesity, age, obstructions of the nose, mouth or pharynx, use of sedatives, alcoholic beverages, chin too far back (retrognathism) and endocrinological disorders.
Snoring is caused by narrowing or partial interruption of the upper airways (nose, mouth, and pharynx) during sleep, making it difficult for air to pass through and causing a vibration of these structures to produce noise, which is hoarse. The snoring when it is frequent and loud enough to bother the people that are nearby is not normal and should be treated.
Some measures used for the treatment of snoring are:
- sleep on your side to avoid falling tongue back,
- do not ingest alcoholic beverages and sedatives to prevent further relaxation of the airway muscles,
- weight loss,
- treatment of allergic rhinitis to eliminate obstruction of the nose,
- treatment of hypothyroidism, when existing,
- use of an intraoral device to improve the passage of air through the airways,
- upper airway surgery for correction of air passage obstructions,
- use of CPAP, which is a device that has the function of ventilating the upper airways, preventing them from closing,
- use of medicines that act on the lubrication of the airways or avoiding a greater relaxation of their musculature, leading to better ventilation.
The diagnosis of the cause of snoring is made through clinical examinations and polysomnography, which is an examination that evaluates the quality of sleep. The medical specialist in sleep disorders is professional trained to diagnose and treat snoring.
Learn more at:
Sleep Disorders: What are the main types and how to identify them?
What are the symptoms of sleep disorders?
What are the phases of sleep and what happens in each of them?
