Has this ever happened to you ?
- Do you snore loudly to the point of waking yourself up in the middle of the night?
- When you go on trips, your friends tease you about your loud snoring, and sometimes you have to sneak away to sleep alone so as not to disturb those around you.
- You wake up startled or tossing and turning in bed, with abnormal sweating while asleep
- You feel unrested, experience headaches, and fatigue upon waking up, even though you had enough sleep. You become easily irritable, more emotionally sensitive than usual, with reduced memory and cognitive abilities. Symptoms worsen if you consume alcohol or sleep-inducing medications
- You feel drowsy or fall asleep easily during the day, sometimes even during work or study, leading to dangerous situations like car accidents (falling asleep at the wheel) or accidents involving machinery.
- Dry mouth and throat in the morning due to mouth breathing throughout the night.
Snoring is caused by vibrations of the soft palate and uvula during sleep. When we sleep soundly, the tissues in the throat, especially the soft palate and uvula, relax. Some people relax so much that their airway becomes partially or completely blocked, obstructing the passage of air to the lungs and causing vibrations. The more the airway is blocked, the louder the snoring becomes. Ultimately, complete obstruction leads to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), where air cannot flow into the body properly.
Causes of snoring:
- Aging: Muscles, including those that support the airway, lose tone with age, making it easier for the airway to collapse during sleep.
- Gender: Men are more likely to snore than women due to hormonal influences, but after menopause, women’s risk equals men’s.
- Obesity: Excess fat around the neck narrows the airway, increasing the risk of obstruction.
- Alcohol consumption or certain medications, such as sleep aids, which relax the central nervous system and throat muscles.
- Smoking, which worsens the efficiency of the respiratory system, leading to inflammation and narrowing of the airway.
- Chronic nasal congestion, such as from a deviated septum, allergic rhinitis, or nasal polyps.
- Genetics: Individuals with a family history of snoring have a higher risk.
- Abnormal facial bone structure, such as a small chin, backward positioning of the jaw, or a long neck.
- Hormonal disorders like hypothyroidism make airway obstruction easier.
Types of snoring disorders
Simple snoring: People with this type of snoring often produce constant snoring sounds without pauses or gasping for breath. The loudness of snoring alone does not indicate danger to health, as there is no accompanying oxygen deprivation. However, it can disrupt sleep for the bed partner.
Snoring with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): Individuals with this condition often snore loudly and may experience choking or gasping for breath during sleep. They wake up feeling tired, have headaches, and may need more sleep despite having slept for 7-8 hours. Some may experience daytime sleepiness, lack of concentration, irritability, and decreased libido, which can lead to more severe consequences if left untreated.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
and its complications occur only during sleep because the brain is relaxed, causing decreased muscle tone in the upper airway. The airway collapses like a drinking straw being sucked shut, resulting in reduced oxygen in the blood due to breathing interruptions. The brain is then stimulated to wake up more frequently, leading to shallow sleep and daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and reduced alertness. In the long term, this can lead to the followings:
- Decreased work performance
- Memory impairment, mood changes.
- Increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and depression.
Treatment options for snoring
Surgery, combined with orthodontic treatment and the use of oral appliances, is one option for treating snoring. Oral appliances are becoming increasingly popular as they do not require any surgical intervention, are less expensive than surgery, and are comfortable to wear throughout the night.
Steps for using Anti-Snoring Appliance
- The patient should first consult a dentist for an oral examination.
- A sleep test is conducted to identify abnormalities; if the cause is neurological, oral appliances may not be effective.
- Once it’s determined that oral appliances are suitable, the dentist will take impressions of the patient’s mouth to create a custom-made device. This process takes about one week, after which the patient returns to try the device.
- The patient tries the anti- snoring appliance for two weeks and attends a follow-up appointment to assess its effectiveness.
- After one month, the dentist will check to see if any adjustments are needed to the appliance, such as increasing elastic tension, to ensure proper fit and effectiveness for each individual.
While there are various designs of anti- snoring appliance, they all work on the same principle: holding the lower jaw forward to move the base of the tongue outward, opening the airway and facilitating easier breathing. This reduces snoring significantly.
However, one must get accustomed to sleeping with the appliance throughout the night. Once accustomed, it significantly improves sleep quality, allowing for uninterrupted breathing. However, there may be side effects from using oral appliances, such as jaw pain or tooth misalignment after removal. Therefore, patients should receive appropriate dental care and regular check-ups.
Care and maintenance of anti- snoring appliance.
- Clean the device with a soft toothbrush and soap or toothpaste before and after each use.
- Clean it every time before and after using the appliances
- Avoid storing the oral appliance in hot or dry areas; it does not need soaking, but should remain moist to avoid becoming brittle.
Precautions
- Do not use abrasive powders or hard brushes
- Avoid cleaning with hot water, as it may cause the appliance to distort.
- Do not soak in mouthwash. Instead, follow the dentist’s instructions for cleaning with denture cleansing tablets.
- Anti-snoring devices consist of an upper and lower jawpiece connected by a hinge, which can be made of plastic, metal, or rubber depending on the specific design. Proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure the effectiveness and longevity of your device.
- When using the appliance , if the locking mechanism is damaged or bent , it is advisable to bring the device to the dentist for adjustment , especially in th area of locking mechanism . Additionally, this allows for an evaluation of the treatment outcomes.
