If You’re A Snorer, ENTs Suggest These Solutions

There’s no contesting that snoring can be disruptive to your sleep and the sleep of those around you. In some cases, excessive snoring can even be a sign of something more malicious like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, leading to a number of risks.

According to dual board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates Dr. Ofer Jacobowitz, snoring — an event that occurs when the muscles of the throat relax, leading to a narrower airway — may be harmful for some people, even without having OSA.

“In severe cases, the sheer energy of the vibrational trauma of snoring may damage the carotid arteries in the walls of the throat, causing plaques to accumulate,” said Jacobowitz, who’s also a clinical professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at Northwell/Hofstra University.

Besides OSA, he told us there are plenty of other causes of snoring that may be a little more innocuously explained such as smoking, nasal obstruction, weight gain, increased alcohol consumption and just plain exhaustion.

Board-certified otolaryngologist with the Georgia Center for Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Aaron Fletcher, said that once you’ve seen a medical professional and ruled out conditions such as OSA or nasal polyps, there are a few over-the-counter tools, daily exercises (like singing) as well as lifestyle changes that you can implement to reduce snoring.

“Snoring is not so easy to treat [and] often a combination of treatments leads to success,” Jacobowitz cautioned.

Fletcher and Jacobowitz revealed some of these helpful anti-snoring items and treatments for adults below, as well as how they might specifically work for you if your goal is to finally