I snore – apparently loudly – but it’s not sleep apnea. Twenty years ago I tried a septoplasty and it helped, but I fell off my bike and ruined my nose so the snoring came back.
I was offered another surgery but was told it was painful and might not work. Has anything changed in the snoring department since then? I’m 58, 5ft 8″, 11, and really quite fit – I bike 15 miles a day.
Grog Fookes, Woking, Surrey.
Snoring is often caused by obstructive sleep apnea, in which the tissues in the throat temporarily break down during sleep.
One of the main risk factors is weight gain, but at 11st that doesn’t apply to you, and in fact sleep apnea has been ruled out (which is good news as it’s associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke).
Smoking and drinking too much alcohol are also known to increase the likelihood of snoring – smoking can congest the nasal passages and alcohol relaxes the throat muscles – so reducing both can help.
Snoring is often caused by obstructive sleep apnea, in which the tissues in the throat temporarily break down during sleep
Side sleeping can also be beneficial as it can reduce the tendency of tissue at the back of the palate, the soft palate, to collapse and cause intermittent obstruction. The exhaled air makes the tissue vibrate and causes the sound of snoring.
The surgery you had all those years ago involves straightening the septum, the bony cartilage that separates the nostrils. A deviated (or crooked) septum is a common cause of snoring. While this surgery isn’t as popular anymore (proving that improving the airways in both nostrils can help with snoring is lacking), the fact that this worked for you initially suggests that the internal structure of your nose could be a factor.
I suspect the second surgery you were offered was a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), which involves cutting away tissue at the back of the throat, often including part of the soft palate.
While research shows that this can reduce the intensity of snoring, long-term studies don’t back this up – the results don’t seem to be permanent.
Considering that snoring is very common, affecting more than 40 percent of men and almost 30 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 60, is it important to find a solution?
The possible complications and postoperative pain, which are legendary, also speak against this surgery, so I think you were right to avoid it.
There are newer methods such as B. Radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat instead of a scalpel to reduce the volume of the soft palate.
It has been shown to be a safe and effective method of reducing snoring (with less post-operative pain than UPPP), although how long the benefits last is not clear.
In palatal implants, polyester fibers are implanted into the soft palate to stiffen it. While this also reduces snoring, again the long-term results are less certain.
As you can see, there is nothing magical or new that can easily solve your symptom.
Considering that snoring is very common, affecting more than 40 percent of men and almost 30 percent of women between the ages of 30 and 60, is it important to find a solution?
As long as sleep apnea is ruled out, it may be wise to accept the situation.
My friend recently hit his head in the bath and has since had blurred vision, wobbling on his feet and throwing up. He refuses to go to the hospital – what can I do?
Eloise Few, Notting Hill, London.
Your friend may need a CT scan of his head. The symptoms you describe — along with fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, mood swings, and slurred speech — may indicate an underlying brain injury.
Even a minor blow to the head can cause problems like a concussion, an intracranial hematoma (when a blood vessel ruptures and blood pools in the tissue), and a brain contusion (a localized bruise in the brain).
A lot depends on his age – the brain tissue of older people is more susceptible to damage from even minor shocks.
Your friend may need a CT scan of his head. The symptoms you describe — along with fatigue, dizziness, loss of balance, mood swings, and slurred speech — may indicate an underlying brain injury
If symptoms persist, especially if his mood changes or he remains unsteady on his feet, try to convince him to see a doctor.
I’m almost 80, very fit and work in the laundry room of a nursing home. I’m 5ft 2″ and have always been very slim, but I’m currently about 7th and worried that I might be too skinny as everyone seems to think I’m sick.
Madeleine Kelly, East Sussex.
Her body mass index, a number that combines weight and height, is on the lower end of the healthy range – so I don’t see anything to worry about.
But there are things you can do if you’re worried.
You write in your longer letter that you have always had a small appetite and have been active.
Add to that sarcopenia — the inevitable and gradual loss of muscle mass over time (after the age of 30 you lose between 3 and 5 percent of muscle mass every decade), which inevitably leads to weight loss since muscle weighs three times as much as fat.
You can minimize this muscle loss by eating more protein—meat, fish, and eggs—and by exercising regularly. Omega-3 fatty acids also stimulate muscle growth; Oily fish like canned mackerel or sardines are good sources.
In terms of exercise, try lifting weights of around 2kg to 3kg for 30 minutes three times a week.
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Write to Dr. Scurr from Good Health, Chron, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or by email: [email protected] – provide your contact details. dr Scurr cannot conduct personal correspondence. The answers should be viewed in a general context. If you have health concerns, consult your GP
In my view… Give tax breaks on the fees for visiting a private GP
The prime minister was widely criticized for initially refusing to say if he had a private GP.
He finally told the House of Commons that he does indeed have an NHS GP – three days after he blunted the question during an interview. I really don’t understand his reluctance to disclose this.
We are all entitled to pay for healthcare outside the NHS and many do – cosmetic surgery is a prime example.
Margaret Thatcher did not hesitate to consult a private family doctor, as did the Pope when he visited Britain in 1982 (that private doctor was me!). In my private practice I have also seen Labor MPs and colleagues who, despite their proclaimed ideology, have no problem stepping down from the NHS.
In 1972, when I was resident surgeon at Westminster Hospital, Marcia Falkender, secretary to Labor leader Harold Wilson, was being treated in a private room on our unit.
Harold Wilson’s government later moved to scrap pay beds in NHS hospitals.
Regardless of his own position, Rishi Sunak should allow a tax break for the cost of a private doctor’s visit to ease pressure on the NHS.