Snoring is a noisy sound produced due to the passage of air through the obstructed upper airway. Problem is not just snoring when you snore the amount of air entering decreases and so the amount of oxygen. If the patient has low oxygen content throughout his sleep he ends up having a disease called Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Visit sabari lung care clinic for the best Snoring treatment in Chennai.
Who can have snoring?
- Obese having BMI >35
- Tonsillitis/DNS/Adenoids
- Nasal or jaw deformity like retrognathia
- Alcoholics/drug abuse like morphine
What are the symptoms of snoring (OSA)?
- Noisy sound from the mouth
- Excessive day time sleepiness
- Not alert
- Memory loss
- Fatigue
- Impotence/lack of sexual interest
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart attacks/failure/arrhythmias
Are all snorers suffering from OSA?
Not all snorers are OSA but all OSA are snorers. So what I want to say is snoring just indicates obstruction whereas OSA means there is a fall in oxygen levels leading to various symptoms.
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How do I diagnose you are suffering from OSA?
| STOP-BANG questionnaire* | TABLE 2 STOP-BANG | TABLE 2 STOP-BANG |
| STOP S (snore) | Do you snore loudly (louder than talking or loud enough to be heard through closed doors)? | Yes/No |
| T (tired) | Do you often feel tired, fatigued, or sleepy during daytime? | Yes/No |
| O (observed) | Has anyone observed you stop breathing during sleep? | Yes/No |
| P (blood pressure) | Do you have or are you being treated for high blood pressure? | Yes/No |
| BANG B (body mass index [BMI]) | BMI > 35 kg/m2? | Yes/No |
| A (age) | Age > 50 years? | Yes/No |
| N (neck) | Neck circumference > 40 cm? | Yes/No |
| G (gender) | Gender male? | Yes/No |
| Yes to > 3 questions = high risk of obstructive sleep apnea Yes to < 3 questions = low risk of obstructive sleep apnea *Adapted from Chung et al.20 | Yes to 3 questions = high risk of obstructive sleep apnea Yes to < 3 questions = low risk of obstructive sleep apnea *Adapted from Chung et al.20 | Yes to 3 questions = high risk of obstructive sleep apnea Yes to < 3 questions = low risk of obstructive sleep apnea *Adapted from Chung et al.20 |
I use this simple screening tool and say whether you are suffering from OSA or not. To confirm I do polysomnography and assure the best Snoring treatment in Chennai. There are several levels of sleep study what I prefer is level 1 and 2 where we do a study in our lab and also we can do at your home. What I exactly calculate is your AHI (Apnea Hypopnea Index), based on that I grade your severity. Normal levels are less than 5, OSA is present if AHI is more than 5.
How do I treat your snoring?
First I calculate the level of snoring you have through polysomnography and treatment varies depending upon that. For milder cases weight loss, sleeping position, yoga all play an important role. For treatable causes removal of offending able agent is the mainstay of treatment example: remove tonsils if it’s big causing your snore. For severe cases, I recommend CPAP which I will explain you detail in video session.