Via practica 1/2018

Snoring – a life threatening condition?

Snoring is sometimes downplayed as a sound disturbing the sleep companion. However, it affects the snorer him/herself as well. The snoring should not be ignored as it may indicate a presence of more serious illness, i.e. sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea has a negative impact on the patient’s health and negatively affects patient’s quality of life. It is associated with fatique and sleepiness often leading to momentary drowsiness. Another symptom is a presence of microsleep episodes during daytime posing an increased likelihood of car accidents. Furthermore, obstructive sleep apnea increases risks of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly examine and diagnose each patient manifesting with snoring in order to rule out the obstructive apnea. Early treatment of sleep apnoe not only eliminates snoring, but can improve both the quality of life of these patients and prevent subsequent health complications. There are a growing number of sleep laboratories and other medical institutions where this screening is performed to facilitate early diagnosis. The individually tailored treatment, either conservative or surgical, is based on the clinical ENT examination and the result from the sleep study. Conservative treatment measures include sufficient sleep, avoidance of alcohol, weight reduction and physical activity.

Keywords: snoring, obstructive sleep apnoe, polysomnography, Mallampati class, continuous positive airway pressure, radiofrekvency termoplastic, uvulopalatoplastic