If you snore, you’ve likely heard about it from someone you love. Despite our best intentions, snoring has a way of disturbing everyone from the snorer to those around them. But stopping snoring can be easier said than done. After all, how do you stop doing something you’re not aware you’re even doing – and in the middle of your sleep no less. But thankfully there are some solutions you can consider to help stop snoring and start getting the restful night’s sleep you and everyone around you deserve.
One way to stop snoring that is making headlines these days is tonsil removal. Tonsils are the two masses of tissue that hang in the back of your mouth that act as your body’s first line of defense against illnesses and bacteria. They produce helpful white blood cells that also aid in illness prevention. But many people remove them due to snoring and frequent infection.
But is this the best course of action? After all, not all snoring is caused by your tonsils. In fact, some snoring can be caused by a sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the airway becomes partially closed during sleep. This causes you to gasp for air, stop and restart breathing, and yes, snore. The question is, does a tonsillectomy cure sleep apnea?
The truth is, it sometimes can, though generally speaking, sleep apnea does is not caused by the tonsils, and though you might see a slight reduction in snoring, removing the tonsils will not cure your sleep apnea.
What will cure your sleep apnea? While there is no guarantee there is a way to even “cure” your sleep apnea, there are effective treatments available to lessen the severity of your sleep apnea symptoms. At Dr. Abelar’s practice, he recommends a sleep orthotic device to help with sleep apnea. This device is custom molded to your mouth and can be extremely effective at opening the airway and allowing you to breathe while sleeping. Sleep orthotics are very comfortable and easy to care for and require no tubing or complicated electrical machinery. Best of all they don’t require surgery.
To learn more about sleep orthotics from Dr. Abelar, please contact the office for a consultation today!
