WHAT TO DO  ?

It’s necessary to consult an Otolaryngologist (ENT) who will make the clinical diagnosis. He will determine the site of the obstruction responsible for the apnea and will decide if a sleep study is essential, either by portable apparatus who is recording during the sleep, or in a sleep laboratory, where one will sleep during a whole night. These techniques of recording are done using sensors which make it possible to study the sleep architecture, that are: night breathing, the rate of heartbeat, noise of the snore and the blood oxygen rate. The data recorded will then make it possible to determine the degree of gravity of the sleep apnea syndrome, and the type of treatment to be proposed.

Snoring treatment (with or without sleep apnea)

1) Correct the predisposing factors:

• Control body weight
• Avoid taking alcohol in evening
• Avoid sleeping pills as much as possible
• Avoid smoking

2) When it’s a significant sleep apnea problem:

The treatment suggested is by constant positive airway pressure (CPAP). It’s about a small apparatus which insufflates compressed air in the nose using a nasal mask carried during the night. This avoids a depression of the higher respiratory passage and improves the sleep quality considerably. To be effective, the mask must be used permanently all night.

3) For snoring problems without significant sleep apnea:

The treatment aims at correcting the anatomical site responsible for the night noises.

Laser assisted uvuloplasy (LAUP) is carried out under local anaesthesia and consists in modifying the velum and the uvula.

This technique lasting approximately thirty minutes makes it possible to eliminate the vibrations responsible for the snoring. A sensitivity of the throat for a few days does not prevent a fast return to work.

When necessary, it’s suggested to have the conventional technique of Pharyngoplastie (UPPP) under general anaesthesia.

If it’s about a noisy breathing related to a chronic nasal obstruction, it’s suggested to correct the deviated septum or decreasing the surface of the turbinate inside the nose.