Snoring is the involuntary snorting grunting sounds made during sleep, when the soft tissues at the back of the mouth relax and vibrate together. Snoring can be loud and cause sleep disturbances for the snorer and those around them. This can lead to daytime tiredness, reduced mental function, emotional upset and relationship issues.
Dr Gordon Carey has a keen interest in sleep medicine. He is a registered Platinum Somnowell practitioner and uses his skills and experience to help reduce your snoring and allow you to achieve restful, healthy sleep. Book your initial assessment (charge applies)
Snoring can be a warning sign of the more serious obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). This occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the mouth relax enough to close altogether, causing the snorer to stop breathing. OSA is diagnosed when there are 5 or more abnormal respiratory events per hour, lasting more than 10 seconds each. Breathing will either restart without any noticeable effect or the snorer becomes agitated and wakes up suddenly. In these cases, OSA can be a greater disturbance to both snorer and those around them.
Investigations can be arranged at a sleep clinic where patients’ respiratory patterns are monitored. Once diagnosed, OSA sufferers are offered a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This uses a pump and a face mask to force pressurised air into the snorers mouth inflating the relaxed soft tissues and keeping the airway open. CPAP machines work well but they are cumbersome and noisy, and patients report waking up feeling thirsty with a very dry mouth.
Dr Gordon Carey can provide an alternative treatment to CPAP. It reduces OSA events and reduces or stops snoring altogether.
It’s a miracle; I have worn the device every night since I had it fitted. My wife and I now get a brilliant night’s sleep, it was worth every penny.
OSA events disturb deep sleep, known as rapid eye movement, or ‘REM’ sleep. REM sleep represents a quarter of total sleep time and is the most refreshing part of your sleep. Disturbances to REM sleep result in greater daytime tiredness compared to snoring alone. It can cause lapses in concentration, increased irritability, irregular heartbeat, tension, headaches, depression, and has even been associated with heart attacks. In fact, patients diagnosed with OSA are advised to avoid operating machinery or driving vehicles altogether.
The shape and dimension of the face and jaw determine whether people are more likely to snore or suffer with OSA. They are more likely to have a shorter lower jaw with an enlarged soft palate. Although tongue size is usually normal, it has less space in which to function. Men are more likely to suffer from OSA than women, although the gap narrows after menopause. OSA and snoring are more likely in those who are overweight and those who consume regular alcohol.
Gordon is an experienced registered Platinum Somnowell Practitioner and a member of The British Society of Dental Sleep Medicine. He is qualified to provide patients with the intra-oral ‘Somnowell Chrome’ mandibular advancement appliance (MAA). This discrete, custom-made metal device is worn in the mouth overnight. It is designed to gently hold the lower jaw forward to keep the airway open; the same principle as in first aid. Many of our OSA patients have discarded their CPAP machines in preference for their new Somnowell™ Chrome.
For more information, please contact our patient coordinator, Jaime, on 01452 727 665 or [email protected].
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01452 727 667
St James', Quedgeley, Gloucester GL2 4WD
