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Can a 15-Minute Procedure Stop Your Snoring?

For every husband or wife who has been driven from the bedroom as a result of his or her spouse's snoring, there may be hope. A new treatment designed to reduce snoring seems to be effective in quieting the nighttime ruckus in a majority of patients.

The treatment, called a palatal implant, is an outpatient surgical procedure that works by stiffening the tissue in the back of the throat that is often the cause of snoring. This treatment may also be effective in treating other sleep disorders.

By Karen Barrow

For every husband or wife who has been driven from the bedroom as a result of his or her spouse's snoring, there may be hope. A new treatment designed to reduce snoring seems to be effective in quieting the nighttime ruckus in a majority of patients.

The treatment, called a palatal implant, is an outpatient surgical procedure that works by stiffening the tissue in the back of the throat that is often the cause of snoring. Additionally this treatment may also be effective in treating other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, a condition that occurs when a person stops breathing briefly at night, causing them to wake up momentarily. These episodes can occur hundreds of times a night, seriously impacting quality of sleep.

"Snoring and sleep apnea are part of the same problem," said Dr. Michael Friedman, lead study author and professor of otolaryngology at Rush Medical College, Chicago.

When some people sleep, the soft flesh in the back of the mouth relaxes so much it begins to vibrate with each inhale. The rushing air causes this loose tissue to vibrate, creating the low grumble or loud buzzing known as snoring.

Other forms of treatment for sleep apnea include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which blows a light stream of air through the airway to keep this tissue out of the way, and surgery to remove the excess loose tissue to reduce the vibrations. However, CPAP forces a patient to wear a somewhat cumbersome mask at night and oral surgery has major risks, so these options are not always the best.
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