By Dr. Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, DABSM and Patricia B. Smith from "Sleep Disorders For Dummies"
More than 300 products available on the market claim to stop or reduce snoring. Some of them work, and some of them are about as effective as snake oil. Because so many different factors can cause snoring, finding what works for you will be a process of trial and error.
Warning
The primary danger associated with all the snoring treatments is that they don’t work for sleep apnea — a condition that can be very dangerous. If your snoring is really loud, get tested for sleep apnea before you waste a lot of money on gadgets or pills.
You may find that a combination of snore-stopping treatments works best for you, or you may discover that one method gives you all the snoring relief you need:
Pills: Snoring treatments in pill form are formulated to tackle snoring’s underlying cause. For example, if you have allergies, you can purchase either a homeopathic or over-the-counter (OTC) snoring remedy specifically designed to relieve allergic symptoms. Other herbal medications contain ingredients to shrink soft tissue swelling that may contribute to snoring, while still others dissolve secretions in the throat and nasal passages. These formulas presume that you know the reason why you snore and can select a product with ingredients that address that reason.
Sprays: Sprays work on the premise that people snore because their throats are dry. Snore-stop spray formulas usually contain one or more food grade oils like almond, olive, sesame, or grape seed oil to lubricate the throat, flavored with orange, mint, or lemon extracts. Before you go to bed, you spray three or four bursts of the product in the back of your throat. People who suffer from ordinary snoring report varying degrees of success with these products, but most experience some relief. Some nasal sprays also claim to stop or reduce snoring, but they’re only effective if your snoring is caused by nasal congestion or tissue adhesion.
Devices: Some inventors really get excited about the subject of snoring because no one has yet invented a 100-percent sure-fire cure. Look up “anti-snoring device” on the U.S. Patent Office Web site, and you’ll find 50 patents granted for devices ranging from the Snore Reducer Jacket, a sophisticated version of the old tennis ball in the jammies trick, to nasal dilators (breathing strips), to more. Currently popular devices include
Chin straps: Adjustable bands you wear around your head at night to keep your mouth from falling open, operate on the theory that if your mouth stays closed you can’t snore. A chin strap may work for some people, although others people have discovered the not-so-delicate art of snoring through their noses.
Nasal strips: Thin adhesive strips you place over the bridge of your nose to hold your nasal passages open as you sleep. They’re only effective if your snoring is due to nasal obstruction or congestion.
Sleep cushions: Pillows you strap to your back that force you to sleep on your side or stomach. They’re helpful for the 60 percent of ordinary snorers who only snore while lying on their backs.
Oral appliances: You can choose from three major types of removable device you wear in your mouth at night to help prevent snoring:
Mandibular-advancement devices: These are custom-made retention plates that fit over your upper and lower teeth. Once in place, the pieces push the lower jaw forward rather forcefully, which keeps the mouth from falling open. At the same time, the pieces open the airway, thereby preventing snoring. Many users report success, but the devices take some getting used to.
Tongue-retaining devices: These devices essentially grab your tongue and pull it forward to keep the base of the tongue clear of the airway. But you guessed it: They’re usually quite uncomfortable.
Intraoral appliances: These appliances are custom fitted to the snorer’s oral cavity. When in place, they prevent the collapse of the airway by providing rigid support for the soft palate. Approximately 45 variations of these appliances are currently on the market ranging in cost from $60 to $2,000.
Surgery: If you’ve tried every pill and gadget and nothing stops your snoring, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove or reduce the size of your uvula, soft palate, and surrounding tissues, or to stiffen the tissues with deliberate scarring.
Warning
Although an operation may help reduce snoring, none of them reliably cure sleep apnea, and some types of surgery may aggravate its symptoms. Plus, you may not know whether the surgery worked until the four- to six-week healing period is over. Add to that the common dangers attendant on any surgery and hospital stay, and you realize that surgery should be your very last snore-abatement option.
