Pillar Procedure
New Treatment for Snoring

Snoring Solution Files - Page 2

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New Procedure Could End Your Snoring

What Causes of Snoring

One of the main causes of snoring can be relaxation of the muscles at the back of the throat, a condition which exacerbates with aging as muscles lose tonus. This blocks the airways when the sufferer is sleeping. Snoring can become so bad that the person wakes him or herself up several times a night because it is so loud. This leads to lack of quality sleep and can affect the health of the snorer and his entourage.

Snoring is caused by the vibration of these relaxed muscles. This relaxation may even block the airways causing the person to stop breathing or cause shallow breathing and may happen many times in a night. This is what is known as obstructive sleep apnea ("apnoea" is the British spelling).

Obstructive sleep apnea is only one of three types of sleep apnea, that is a potentially life threatening condition because it can stop the flow of oxygen to your blood. Sleep apnea has also been linked to high blood pressure, lung disease, strokes and heart attacks.

The Pillar Procedure

The Pillar Procedure is a relatively new treatment that can stop snoring and can also be used to help patients suffering from some types of obstructive sleep apneoa.

It is a non-invasive surgical procedure that can be performed in a doctor’s office, under local anesthesia It only takes around ten minutes during which the back of the throat is anesthetized and then three small polyester rods are implanted in the soft palate. Scar tissue eventually cause the tissue to harden around these implants holding them firmly in place and causing the tissue at the back of the throat to harden almost like a splint.

The rods prevent the soft palate from totally relaxing when the patient sleeps and thus solves the snoring problem.

Of course prior to obtaining this treatment a visit to the doctor is necessary to get a proper diagnosis and eliminate such problems as nasal obstruction which could be causing your problem. Only after other problems have been ruled out will you be referred to possibly a sleep clinic for further investigation.

(Sources: The Doctors, CBS Reality; CBS News, The Manhattan Snoring and Sleep Center
video: CBS2 News)

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