If your partner has started sleeping on the couch because of your snoring, you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck with it either. Plenty of people look for snoring treatment austin after months of broken sleep, morning headaches and a dry, sore throat. The good news is that snoring usually has a cause you can find. Once the cause is clear, the fix gets a lot simpler. At Premier Sinus, the approach starts with figuring out why you snore before anyone talks about procedures.
Why Do We Snore in the First Place?
Snoring occurs when your airway is blocked or obstructed while sleeping. The back of your throat is relaxed when you sleep and if your airway is already a little constricted, the muscles in your throat and nose begin to vibrate with the noise creating the buzzing noise.
That narrowing has a different cause for each person. For some, it’s a crooked nasal septum. For others, it’s swollen tissue within the nose, large tonsils, excess weight around the neck, or simply the position of the jaw. Alcohol before sleep and sleeping on your back, it turns out, compound the problem. Which is why one generic snoring pillow or nasal strip will solve the problem for some and be completely useless for others.
Is it solely snoring, or is there a more severe problem?
This is the section some avoid. Snoring may be nuisance – or caused by obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring that’s loud and accompanied by gasping, episodes of stopping your breath and sleeping lots during the day may be caused by OSA, a medical condition – not a nuisance. It puts stress on the heart and can be hard on blood pressure and leave you exhausted in the morning.
Premier Sinus is the sinus practice of: Dr. Shawn Allen is a fellowship-trained rhinologist and ENT specialist. He also trained in the surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. Why this is important: A comprehensive evaluation doesn’t just assume or guess about one or the other.
Why Your Nose is More Important Than You Might Think
While many believe the cause of snoring is the throat, the problem can often begin here. When the nasal cavity is congested, you will breathe through your mouth. Breathing through your mouth pushes the jaw and tongue further back, which constricts the airway further.
A stuffy nose can be caused by deviated septum, polyps, turbinates, or sinus chronic inflammation. But it can also be caused by allergy, which is why allergy treatment austin often isn’t far from the same conversation. Austin is known for cedar fever, oak pollen and grass pollen and it’s very common for a person to be trudging through all of that with a stuffy nose and not even realize that it’s also contributing to the snoring.
What Does a Proper Evaluation Involve?
The appointment will start by talking. Questions you’ll be asked include: How long you have snored, if anyone has seen you stop breathing during the night, how you are feeling during the day and what treatment, if any, you have received so far. After this is an examination of the nose and mouth, which may be done with a small, flexible camera so the doctor can see your anatomy with their own eyes rather than making assumptions.
Your doctor may suggest you to do a sleep test (many of which are now available as home tests) to find out if you have sleep apnea. From the test results, the severity of your sleep apnea will be identified to help guide your next steps.
About Dr. Leeman: Background in the Austin Area
Premier Sinus collaborates with Dr. Daniel Leeman Dr. Daniel Leeman is double-board-certified in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery and has been practicing in the Austin area for decades. His ENT-facial plastic surgery background is valuable if a breathing problem is related to the anatomy of the nose. A person who is evaluated for both shape and function sees a more comprehensive perspective.
What Treatment Options Are Out There?
People don’t have to have surgery. Actually, most of them shouldn’t go there first. The simple things come first, and they’re more effective than people think.
Nothing beats lifestyle changes. Losing weight, not drinking alcohol directly before sleep, sleeping on your side and treating nasal allergies can go a long way. Then there are medications. Prescriptions for nasal sprays to shrink inflammation, allergy testing and possibly allergy shots or drops. In some cases, a sleep apnea patient does well with a CPAP machine or a device to reposition the jaw slightly.
Structural problems can be treated if the above doesn’t help. Such problems include a deviated septum, hypertrophic turbinates, and chronic sinus disease, which can be corrected with endoscopic surgery. Dr. Allen performs balloon sinuplasty in-office, as well as endoscopic sinus surgery. For blockages that are confined to within the throat there are procedures to open up the airway but that would be tailored to whatever is discovered in exam.
What Should You Expect After Treatment?
Honestly, it will depend on what was done. Some lifestyle and medical therapies can be successful in weeks. Procedures will take longer, and their healing periods range from days to weeks. Your doctor should be very blunt about what to expect, even what a procedure can’t do. Be just a little cautious with anyone who claims snoring will be totally eliminated. Good care is straight up about chances.
What you can generally expect is improved sleep, more energy in the morning and a quieter bedroom. For many couples, that alone is enough to justify the trip.
When Should You Stop Waiting and Book a Visit?
If you’re noticing noisy, constant or increasingly worse snoring, it’s time. If you’re feeling like you can’t get enough air, or wake up in the middle of the night choking, or have a foggy feeling all day, or a stopped-up nose more nights than it runs clear, it’s definitely time. Bottom line-waiting is not always the best option, sleep apnea is not good!
Come to us-if you find your snores loud, unpredictable or getting worse-and you wake up like you’re choking, if you feel foggy all day long or if you’re more stuffed than not-or more nights than clear. To sum up-normally, don’t wait-and sleep apnea-isn’t healthy. One-minute screening will tell you whether you need a quick fix or a more advanced one.
Wrapping It Up
Snoring can be a part of life, but it doesn’t have to be. If you can discover the issue, be it in your nose, throat, allergies, or sleep apnea there is a permanent solution to the snoring. If your sinuses are the concern, then a simple Balloon sinus surgery can be explored with the right physician who works with it every day. Premier Sinus is a great place to begin that discussion and learn about a straightforward plan to a better night.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should I consider snoring treatment in Austin?
Snoring that wakes you or your partner up, or makes you tired, headachy or dry-mouthed during the day needs evaluating. Gasping or pauses in breathing at night should be investigated as a matter of priority.
2. Is it possible that allergies cause snoring?
A: Yes. Allergies cause inflammation in the nose that can result in congestion and forced mouth breathing during sleep, which can cause snoring, but getting help from an allergy specialist austin could eliminate your snoring.
4. Does snoring mean I need surgery?
Most don’t. If lifestyle adjustments, allergy treatment, medication or a sleep device don’t solve the problem, surgery is an option. If you have an obvious physical cause of your sleep apnea, surgery might be next.
5. How long does it take to see results?
Results of medical and lifestyle interventions can be seen in as little as a few weeks. Post-procedure, healing and improvement can take some time, and your doctor will be able to tell you what to expect in terms of timing for your specific case.
