40 Million Americans snore! Are you one of them? Excessive snoring are problems totally related to upper airway obstruction. The two areas that become blocked are the nasal passages and the throat.
1. Nasal obstruction is a common factor with people who snore. Nasal obstruction issues are often due to a deviated nasal septum. Aside from snoring symptoms, individuals with nasal obstruction often complain of facial pain, headaches, ear pressure and fullness, sinus congestion and sinus infections.
2. Throat obstruction is also a common factor with people who have excessive snoring problems. The soft palate and uvula often hang too far into the throat causing significant airflow restriction when the patient lies down.
I have successfully treated many patients with complaints of excessive snoring and sleep apnea over the past 15 years. Initially most patients are treated medically with nasal steroid sprays for their nasal obstruction. Patients who fail medical therapy are then offered snoring surgery options.
The vast number of patients who undergo surgical correction of their excessive snoring problems require a combination of nasal surgery (to correct nasal airway obstruction) and palate resection surgery (to correct obstruction in the throat). 85% of patients having this combination of surgical procedures are totally cured of their snoring problems.
|
|
Nasal Obstruction
| One of the most common clinical problems I see are patients that have some degree of nasal obstruction. Nasal obstruction is also referred to as a deviated nasal septum. The nasal septum is a wall of bone and cartilage that separates the right nostril from the left nostril. More often than not, people with nasal obstruction issues feel that they do not have problems breathing through their nose. However, there are four key symptoms that ultimately point to nasal obstruction. |
|
|
These symptoms are:
 |
Facial Pain and Headaches |
|
Excessive Snoring and Sleep Apnea |
|
Recurrent Ear Infections, Dizziness |
|
Sinus Infections |
How Do I Treat Nasal Obstruction Problems?
First and foremost, I must determine whether there is a current sinus infection. I take a detailed history of your past and current problems and do a thorough nasal exam. I also often do a sinus x-ray to rule out a sinus infection. Those that do not have an active sinus infection are offered nasal steroid spray treatment, which is used to shrink the swelling inside the nose and ultimately open up the nasal passageways. Those that do not respond well to this treatment are offered sinus surgery options. |
| The Horrors of Nasal-Sinus Surgery-Fact or Fiction? |
| Patients often recount to me stories of people that have undergone nasal and sinus surgery and told them how awful an experience it was. The most common fears I hear are black and blue eyes, nasal disfigurement, nosebleeds, intolerable pain and “yards of packing” placed in the nose.
As a head and neck surgeon for the past 20 years I can assure you that these fears are fiction when it comes to my practice. In my hands this is a simple and straightforward procedure with minimal pain, minimal packing and minimal bleeding. I thoroughly discuss post operative expectations with patients prior to the surgery and answer any and all questions in order to alleviate the “fear of the unknown”. My patients are also provided with written instructions and expectations prior to the surgery for them to refer to. The vast majority of my patients tell me after their surgery, “Thank you for making it so painless and simple.” |
|