Snoring Out an SOS!
“Snoring is not just noise!” says
ENT specialist DR LYNNE LIM.
Up to 40 percent of snorers have
oxygen desaturation caused by
obstruction of the airways,
termed Obstructive Sleep
Apnoea (OSA).It’s linked to five times the normal
risk of having a car crash, high
blood pressure, diabetes, heart
attack and stroke. What’s more,
a snorer’s bed partner can lose
an average of an hour of sleep
each night from what’s called
Spousal Arousal Syndrome. (No,
sadly, not that sort of arousal.)Symptoms
For adult snorers, it’s increased urination,
poor libido and teeth-grinding by night, and
tiredness, irritability, headaches and memory loss
by day.
Children with OSA toss and turn in bed, lie in
odd positions and may drool. Heavy breathing
instead of snoring is common, as are teeth-grinding
and bed-wetting. The lower jaw does not grow
forward properly, and there is poor dentition.Causes
Usual causes of adult snoring include a crooked
septal bone in the nose, large inferior turbinates
(ridges of tissue inside the nasal passages), a
short, thick neck, polyps, a prolapsed tongue base
or a low-lying soft palate. Allergies and chronic
rhinosinusitis are other common causes.
Children are more usually blocked from nose
allergies, or enlarged adenoids or tonsils. Some may
be sickly and have difficulty gaining weight; others
suffer from hormonal disruptions and obesity.Treatment
For mild snoring, a change of sleep position can
help. Avoid alcohol and sleeping pills, maintain a
healthy weight, and of course don’t smoke.
Medication or an oral device might help, too.
But don’t use an over-the-counter
product without a doctor’s
evaluation, as you may
have multiple levels of
airway obstruction that
need to be specifically
targeted.
For severe adult
OSA, continuous
positive airway
pressure (CPAP) or
BIPAP masks are the
first line of treatment.
But children cannot
tolerate CPAP masks, and
neither can many adults.Surgical options
Careful, targeted surgery to the nose, the soft
palate, the base of the tongue or the jaw can be the
solution. For a young child, treating their allergic
rhinitis, removing their adenoids and tonsils and
reducing their inferior turbinates is often enough.
Rest assured – removing tonsils does not weaken
their immunity nor increase their risk of cancer!Sleep studies
A sleep study can help to determine the cause and
evaluate the severity of a sleep disorder. For most
patients, it can be done at home.Dr Lynne Lim Ear, Nose, Throat & Hearing
Centre
#17-07 Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, and
#15-02 Farrer Park Medical Centre
6737 7787 | drlynnelim.com184 CITY GUIDE 2018
HAPPY & HEALTHY