e Consulting Room David McPARTLIN
Mr David McPartlin is a consultant ENT surgeon working at BMI The Sandringham Hospital
P
roblems with snoring are often dismissed as unimportant, or even a cause for ridicule and teasing. However, for those who suffer the effects of snoring it is anything but funny. The impact is often more marked for the partner of the snorer, or other family members. On occasions loud snoring can even disturb close neighbours. Persistent and prolonged problems can cause significant matrimonial disharmony with partners frequently choosing to sleep in another room. Sufferers will often avoid staying in hotels for fear of disturbing other guests’ sleep. The noise of snoring is generated by turbulent airflow caused by partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. This obstruction can occur at a number of sites including the nasal septum (partition between the nostrils), the soft palate and uvula, or the tongue base. Snoring can also occur in children, when the obstruction is usually caused by enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids. The type of treatment for snoring depends upon an accurate assessment of the likely site of origin of the snoring. Treatments range from lifestyle changes, to wearing a bite device at night to help pull the tongue forward, or in selected cases, surgery to the soft palate, nasal septum, tonsils or adenoids. While many cases of snoring are a social inconvenience without significant detrimental effects on one’s health, some snoring is associated with periods of complete obstruction of the upper airway, when the sufferer appears to stop breathing (Sleep Apnoea). This is a more serious situation as the obstruction can cause transient drops in the blood oxygen content. The reduced oxygen content triggers the brain to make an increased respiratory effort to overcome the obstruction. This pattern can repeat several times during the night resulting in broken and disjointed sleep. The sufferer will often wake up feeling un-refreshed and be prone to daytime sleepiness. Sleep Apnoea can be investigated through overnight monitoring of blood oxygen levels with a probe clipped on to a finger. The equipment is usually given to the patient so that they can take it away and sleep in their own home. It is important to identify Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) as sufferers are at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. If OSA is identified it can be treated with a machine which provides assisted ventilation at night (CPAP) via a mask or nasal prongs. The good news is that help is at hand – for an appointment to see Mr McPartlin, please contact us using the details below.
e Sandringham Hospital
For more information, please call BMI The Sandringham Hospital on 01553 769770 or visit www.bmihealthcare.co.uk/sandringham
KLmagazine February 2012
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