Below is a good basic guideline to choosing an apnea machine or cpap machine. Bear in mind there’s a lot of variables to consider before choosing an apnea machine mask so you might want to turn the below information into a checklist after you’re done reading. This can help you make a better decision and evaluate each masks carefully before plunging into an emotional buying and ended up with frustrations and desperation. Some of you are impatient and don’t really want to read a 1700 word article, so i suggest you read this short review on an apnea machine i recommend.

Before I continue, there’s a few housekeeping information that you need to know so you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I’ll need to make some introduction to the world of CPAP masks and machines. First of all, the CPAP system is comprised of a mask and a headgear. (some does not have a headgear but we’ll get to that later) The mask part of the apnea machine is the one covering your mouth and/or your nose to prevent air leakage, think of the emergency room type of mask they put on the victim’s mouth for oxygen, this will give you some idea on which part of the CPAP is the mask.

The second component is the headgear which consists of straps. It’s main function is to make sure the mask stays on your mouth and/or nose and is not taken off when you’re sleeping soundly throughout the night. So the headgear securely straps the mask onto your head.

Ok, now that we’re familiar with the CPAP or apnea machine’s component, let’s move on the types of mask that are currently available on the market for sleep apnea sufferer at the time of this writing. The three broad category of masks that are available are the mouth only masks, nose only, and the mouth and nose masks. As you can probably guess, the mouth only masks will have mask covering the mouth region.

The other masks are also what the name implies so I assume you understand it perfectly well. Why the need for these categories of mask? For one, some people only breathe through the mouth (mouth breathers) so they will need a mouth only masks. Each CPAP mask is unique in its way, for example the mouth only masks does not require a headgear but most certainly need a humidifier machine (which is another very important machine to maintain unless you want to have infection) to keep your throat from getting dry and irritated. But the mouth masks is not for everyone, those who grinds their teeth and those who had has surgery for sleep apnea previously is not the prime candidate for using the mouth masks.

For nose only masks, it’s normally called the nasal pillows. Basically it’s a very simple design consists of tubes, it does not normally come with headgear nor does it require any masks to seal the pressure. Like the mouth masks, it serves a unique need for certain people. Because it has no masks or even headgear but just two tubes that has a mushroom type shape, claustrophobic people love to use it!

It’s also better for people who would like to keep their beard or mustaches in tact. (masks doesn’t go well with beard or mustache because it will cause the air to leak, thus causing the pressure to be less that it should be to prevent sleep apnea from occurring)

With the above introduction out of the way, we can now start to discuss about the criteria and features you should have in mind when choosing a sleep apnea machine. The first features that you should keep in mind is comfort and proper sealing. Let’s discuss the proper seal first. Proper sealing is required to keep the air pressure just nice (as set by your doctors) so this is a very important feature to keep in mind if you want to cure your sleep apnea and have a good sleep. With that said, there’s 5 types of sealant that i’m aware of right now.

They’re the synthetic rubber, vinyl, silicone, inflatable cushion type and the memory foam. Creative manufactures can mix and match to create the best fitting mask and headgear using these raw materials. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of each type of material.

First of all, some people are allergic to the silicone so its advisable to get synthetic rubber or vinyl type of masks. Materials like the memory foam is the best in the market right now because it fits your face and it’s memory foam adjusts according to your face’s shape and contour. The best thing about memory foam is it remembers the shape on your face so you’re more comfortable next time you wear it and over time the masks just fits nicely into your face.

The inflatable cushion type is also very impressive as it takes care of one major irritation people have with the masks. The masks is hard to adjust. To loose and the seal leaks air, to tight and the seal loses it’s shape and leaks air. This is a major frustration and sometimes people take hours just to get the right adjustment. The inflatable cushion takes care of this by having the option to inflate the mask so it fits your face nicely and the air doesn’t leak out. So you can just strap on your mask and the inflatable cushion will do the tightening. This is really convenient!

As for the straps, recently manufacturers even came out with memory foam and wire combination. Now you can adjust the straps according to your head’s shape. (because of the wire, the mask’s shape stays the same) This is marketed by the manufacturers as the one-size-fits-all type of mask. This takes care of the problem of choosing the best size for you. As you probably know (but it’s so important that I might as well repeat it again) if the seal and the straps does not do a good job there would be air leakage and your sleep apnea will not be fixed throughout the night. Plus, the air will blow out to irritate your partner (which means, your partner will be kicking you out of bed ) and the air might even blow up to your eyes and cause irritation.

But if you’re not in the position to buy the wire and memory foam type of apnea machine, and you have to choose a proper size but you’re in doubt…then choose a smaller size that fits snugly instead of a mask that fits too comfortably. If it’s too big, there might be air leakage, and you probably don’t want that to happen as explained above. As for the shape of the mask, most of the come with the standard triangular shape and are worn over mouth and/or the nose. There’s not much to talk about the shape here and it doesn’t really affect your sleep.

Ok, let’s talk about headgear for a while as there’s some important features that you need to keep in mind if you’re going to choose a good apnea machine. First of all, it’s very important that your headgear can support side, back and front sleeping behavior. This is very important because you might love to sleep on your side but you can’t because the stupid headgear is preventing that. Forcing it unconsciously during sleep can force the mask to dislodge from your face which is not a good thing. The ones that support side and front sleeping usually has a piece of plastic and swish from side to side as you move around during your sleep so the headgear can move with you. (with the mask itself still in tact of course)

It’s also important to have a strap that has a quick release clip for the purpose of convenience and also when you’re choking for various reasons we won’t dwell into here. (just not nice to think about) I know I’ve been going on and on about the headgear but this is the last one. (also the most important but simple) Does the strap stays in place so you don’t need to adjust it constantly? This is a major frustration for a sleep apnea veteran as it really can be frustrating to keep needing to adjust the straps.

Lets move on to another major concern regarding comfort. Specifically, the comfort of your partner. The exhalation holes. That doesn’t sound all important doesn’t it? But it’s very important because some apnea machine produces exhalation that are like a horn. (OK, that’s exaggerated but not by much )

A lot of apnea masks these days come with the life saving features of sound muffler. It has a special material at the point of exhalation that muffles the sound of the exhalation, making it quiet like a baby. The second most important feature that you should look out for in the exhalation point is the air dissipator, imagine a focused exhalation hitting your partner’s face and then imagine him or her waking up with the killer face (haha, not so nice) if you don’t have this very important feature. Like the name suggests, it dissipate the air going out of the masks so it doesn’t come out in a focused way.

Phew, this is a long article (who can guess you can write so much about apnea machine?) so I’m going to end it soon with some little tips. First tip, make sure the hoses are no longer than 12 feet long because anything longer than that will reduce the air pressure set by your doctor. (so you got to reset it with the help from your doctor if it’s longer than 12 feet) The second thing is that some mask can support eye glasses so be on the lookout for that if you love reading to sleep. I’ll end this article with the recommendation that you read this review here on my blog.

I highly recommend that you get optilife if you want a quiet apnea machine, from the reviews, it is clearly the least noisy and the most comfortable of the bunch. So if you’re looking for a sleep apnea machine/comfort centered apnea machine. That’s what I recommend. It’s also an easy apnea machine to use because it’s easy to fit the mask over your head and it’s not uncomfortable. Plus the design of the mask is made so you can sleep on your side, which can help with your sleep apnea as sleeping on your back increases the chances of muscle or tongue falling on your airways and blocking it. If you want to read the full review on this apnea mask then click here to read my optilife cradle cushion review post. One of the key point at the review answers the question…which cpap masks are the least noisy so I think you’ll find it really beneficial to read the whole thing.

But the noise shouldn’t be your only concern when buying an apnea machine. (it’s important of course but not the only thing that will affect your comfort) The other important thing is how the apnea machine’s mask function to give you greater comfort and thus better sleep. It’s very important that the apnea mask be very comfortable and fits nicely into your face and more importantly it doesn’t put too much pressure on your nose. (but not too loose until the air is not pumped with adequate pressure)

Again, I recommend Optlife because of all the above points but you make your own decision regarding this. Do your research because everyone is not quite the same.

I’ve tried many apnea machine before and none of them is really comfortable.

But, I’ve found one particular brand that’s perfect for me.

Don’t take my word on it. Here’s some reviews from amazon.com about that machine.

I went from a full-face mask to this, hoping I could sleep on my side again. It is much quieter than the full-face mask, and I can sleep on my side.

Robert A. Gallini

I’ve tried more than six other masks and styles and always had a blend of problems until I used this mask. This mask has been comfortable and effective. Other masks made the bridge of my nose sore and leaked air. This mask seals at the nostril and doesn’t need to be too tight. It took a little practice to get the straps at the right tension. Surprisingly it stays in place on my face even when I turn my head or sleep on my side. It’s a relief to be able to do that. My wife says it’s the quietest of the masks I’ve used. Another positive is that I can read because there isn’t any blockage from a forehead brace or hose getting in the way. It’s easy to clean and very easy to reassemble. In fact, the pillow cushions just slip on and off two small pegs that hold it in place. My nose and throat get a little dry so I use an attached CPAP humidifier to help but that is the most annoying problem for now. I find the built in chin strap works well but if it’s too tight it will make the sealing of the pillow cushions more difficult. It has worked well for me and I tried “comfort gel” and all the others. This one has worked the best.

rumpelstilskin

The mask I’m talking about is OptiLife Mask with Headgear and pillows cushions and Cradle Cuishion.

The reason why it’s so comfortable and quiet is its simple mask design. This makes it possible to sleep on the side and not have it fall all over the place.

Another Apnea Machine is called a Bi-Pap machine. This machine is similar to the C-PAP, except the air flow is different. As the patient inhales and exhales, the airflow breathes with the patient. This machine is a little costlier, but is worth it’s weight in gold for those who cannot tolerate the constant flow of intake air from the C-PAP. Again this machine’s rate of air flow is pre-set by a technician according to a prescription by the doctor. Both machines have a water supply on them to provide humidity as you breath so your lungs and airway do not dry up. There is usually a heater connected to the humidifier that you can to set to your comfort.

There are a variety of masks for your Apnea Machine. Some masks fit over your nose. Others cover both your nose and mouth. There is a mask that fits into the end of your nostrils. Your technician will work with you to find the mask that is most comfortable to you to provide you the best nights sleep, something that you have not been having for years and years.

Recently there has been one more new type of Apnea Machine become available. It is not so much a breathing machine, as it is a device that is placed in your mouth over your teeth. It works in such a way as to keep your airway from closing. Not everyone is suited to this device, but it remains an option. You deserve a good night sleep. If you have a bed partner, that person deserves a good night sleep too. If you have untreated sleep apnea, your bed partner has a sleep problem as well – insomnia.

The major problem of sleep apnea is that the person is usually snoring loudly during the night, but occasionally, they stop snoring. During this period, they not only stop snoring, but they also stop breathing. Usually the body will “jump start” itself and the person will start breathing again. The partner may notice that the person may flail their arms and legs during their sleep, this is when they are trying to start breathing again. Sleep apnea has serious consequences. It can lead to heart attack or stroke, so it should not be left unattended. A physician should be consulted as soon as possible.

There are many causes for obstructive sleep apnea. The one heard most frequently is obesity. The added weight puts pressure on the lungs to force air out when the body is in a prone position. The airway becomes blocked and breathing becomes difficult. There are other causes, such as problems with a deviated septum. One person did not have large enough holes in his nose to allow for sufficient air to pass through.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea often suffers from fatigue during the day due to lack of restorative sleep at night. They fall asleep frequently if they sit down for a while. This can be a problem if they are driving a car for a distance. Caution should be used when driving, with frequent stops being made.

If you notice that your partner, or even if you notice these symptoms in yourself, advise your doctor. You will be referred for a sleep study analysis. During that study, you will be hooked up to machines like an eeg, ekg, etc; and you will be monitored during your sleep that night. Then a specialist will analyze your results and determine if you do in fact have sleep apnea and need an apnea machine.

The laser assisted uvulopalastoplasty is a laser snoring surgery that uses a laser to burn or scar your uvula and the surrounding soft tissue. This is to enlarge your airways and to tigthen the loose tissue. I talked about this on the snoring surgery article on this website. You can read about it and compare it with other surgeries.

In this article, I will be talking more sbout the post operation preparation and what problems you might encounter. This applies to a patient that has undergo the laser-assisted Uvulo-Palato-Plasty (LAUP), Uvulo-Palato-Pharyngo-Plasty (UPPP) and the Radio Frequency Uvulo-Palato-Plasty.

On the first day, you should avoid all spicy food and condiment like pepper, salsas, chilli and etc. Drink lots of water to maintain hydration level but avoid drinking orange juice, grapefruit juice, and tomato juice for at least one week after the operation. This is because the juices will make your throat burn like hell.

On the second day you can eat soft foods like cheese, mashed potatoes, pureed vegetables, and eggs. You still need to drink lots of water to maintain hydration. (preferably warm water as it is less irritating)

On the third to fifth day you can resume your normal eating behavior. Avoid seasoned and spicy food, but other than that you are OK. You should avoid spicy food for about 2 weeks after the surgery. You should also avoid coughing and clearing of the throat if you can help it.

For the first seven to ten days, you will be prescribed painkillers in the form of codeine or hydrocodone. (of course, you might be prescribed some totally different painkillers, this is not a set in the stone) The side effects of these painkillers is nausea, drowsiness and constipation so your doctor might even pescribe you with Phenegan suppositories. Your doctor might also pescribe you with Benzocaine (a local anesthetic spray) to relieve your pain at the affected area.

Here are some of the “side-effects” and “symptoms” you might notice after your surgery. They is nothing to be afraid of and is normal. You might notice some bad breath, gray or white membrane on the affected area, and ear ache and fever is to be expected. (Unless it got worse you should ignore it. This is not a medical advice as I am not a doctor. Please ask your doctor about this.)

The second laser surgery for snoring that I want to talk about is the one stop laser assisted uvulopalastoplasty. The main difference between this and the normal laser surgery for snoring is that the one-stop ones is exactly that. One stop. With the normal LAUP, you will need multiple visits to the surgeon. This one stop LAUP only take one time 95% of the time. (The study published on the Otolargyngology journal in June 1996 has 200 patient. Only 10 had to undergo second treatment.) This is a major convenience and time saving feature.

The one stop LAUP is also called the one stage LAUP. The treatment is effective for both snoring and sleep apnea problem. It is also extremely effective from what I read from the journal of Otolargyngology. In 83% of the patient, the improvements were in between 75% to 100% improvements. For those with sleep apnea, (which is 33% of the 200. 74 people) 96% reported that they have more restful sleep and have more energy during the day time. Usually a pretty decent predictor of non-existence of sleep apnea. If you are interested to know how the procedure works and why it is so effective, you should read it here.

There are also cases where people only snore when their nose are blocked. They have to breath through their mouth, and this causes snoring to happen. In this case, they need a totally different surgery. You might have a deviated septum or a blocked nasal passage. Of course, there are practically hundreds of causes for snoring including drinking alcohol and obesity. (You can even snore because you are sleeping on your back instead of your side!) Your doctor might perform a sleep study and an in depth analysis of your situation to know the cause of your snoring . It is helpful and even mandatory to thoroughly find out the cause of your snoring before a doctor or sleep specialist can proceed with a surgery recommendation. With that in mind, let’s move on to a list of popular surgery.

Most of the surgery described below can be done at your physician’s office using local anesthetic. (only the area affected is being injected with anesthetic, in other words you are not sleeping like a log) This is a fairly critical point because a general anesthetic can be dangerous to those suffering from sleep apnea. No doctors worth his or her degree are going to perform a general anesthetic on you while fully aware that you have sleep apnea. This is because of the effect general anesthetic can have on your airways.

Onwards.

The first snore surgery I’m going to be talking about a laser snoring surgery called the laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP to make it easy. (never know why the procedure must be in Greek!) It is a modified version of the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery but less invasive. Like the name suggests, LAUP uses a laser to perform the surgery. Your physician will use a laser to cut the uvula and tighten any loose tissue by scarring it. (uva means grapes in greek, that is why they sound greek!) Uvula is the hanging tissue at the back of your mouth. Like I said above, snoring is caused by the vibration of air against your soft tissue. The reason why it vibrates is because your airways is small. (Various reasons like obesity can collapse your airways) So by cutting off your uvula, you will have bigger airways that have one less soft tissue to vibrate against. However, the success a laser surgery for snoring is not guaranteed. You might still snore even after the laser surgery. It is the same case with sleep apnea (this surgery is even used to treat sleep apnea) and more than one session is required. If you do not want to have multiple (3-5 visits over several months) session, you might want to choose to have a UPPP since you can have everything done within one session.

The UPPP has been reported to be effective short term. However, after a year, only half of the patient reported that snoring has stopped entirely or at least markedly improved. As for LAUP, a study of 741 patients reveal that the snoring problem returns after 18 to 24 months of performing LAUP. This is disturbing because only 55% of the partner is reported to be satisfied with the procedure. 12% of the 741 patient even reported that their snoring problem got worse than before the LAUP surgery! This might be because of the inflexible soft tissue due to the scarring.

If you are afraid of pain, you should not do the LAUP and especially the UPPP. Another less painful alternative is called the Cautery Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty. (CAUP) This snore surgery uses cautery equipment. The doctor uses a heated wire or electrode to burn off the uvula. The effectiveness is the same with LAUP and UPPP anyway.

Another relatively new surgery on the block is called Somnoplasty or Radio Frequency Tissue Ablation. (RFTA) It is approved by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in July 1997. Unlike the LAUP which uses a laser to cut the uvula, the modus operandi of RFTA or Somnoplasty is to shrink the uvula using radio frequency. A needle is pierced through your tongue, throat or soft palate. The needle is connected to a radio frequency generator which heated the needle to 158-178 degress. Your inner tissue will shrink, but your outer tissue is left intact so you still have your taste bud. The procedure will take about 30 minutes, and you need to go for RFTA for more than one session for it to work. But you do not have any guarantee whether it will work or not either. Compared to LAUP, RFTA is relatively new and does not have proof that it works. There is no peer-to-peer paper published on the effectiveness of RFTA surgery for snoring (or lack of) yet.

However, the brochure for RFTA or Somnoplasty claims that:

• You will have 85.3% success rate after just two Somnoplasty treatment.

• Reduce mean snoring index by 60%. I think this means your snoring noise will reduce by 60% or maybe your snoring frequency will reduce by 60%.

• Reduce mean Epworth Sleepiness Score by 37.5%. This means you will be less likely to doze off or fall asleep while doing various activities measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Index.

• Cure both snoring and sleep apnea.

The next popular snoring surgery is called the Coblation-Channeling. (If this sounds new agey, do not worry because it is not some whack job. It is approved by the FDA in February, 2000) This snore surgery is even newer than RFTA, and thus have even less data. The RFTA also does not have any peer to peer reviewed journal on it yet. Like RFTA, it uses radio frequency to shrink your uvula and you need to have multiple sessions too. (No one time silver-bullet here)

The next snoring surgery is for both snoring problems and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. (OSA) It is also approved by the FDA, in the year 1998. It is known as the tongue suspension procedure or Repose. This snore surgery is designed to prevent your tongue from falling back in your throat/airways so that it will not block your airways. This is done by having small screws inserted into your lower jaw bone and stitching your the back of your tongue to prevent it from falling backwards. Now this sounds uncomfortable, so fortunately this procedure is reversible. This snore surgery, however is not a one stop surgery. You will need to perform other kinds of snore surgery in order for it to work. Unfortunately, the Repose procedure does not have any clinical evidence that it works.

Genioglossus Tongue Advancement surgery is another alternative to the Repose surgery. Genioglossus is the muscle which keeps your tongue forward and prevents it from falling backwards into your throat. (Blocking the air) The Genioglossus Tongue Advancement snoring surgery is done by pulling the tiny bone connected to your Genioglossus muscle. This is done by using a tiny screw (Inserted into your jaw bone) to hold the tiny bone that is connected to your Genioglossus muscle. The screw can be removed 2 months later if you wish.

You can have the tonsillectomy done to improve your chances of curing your snoring problems. Your tonsils are removed so that your airways is bigger. In the case of snoring, the bigger your airway is the better it is. All the snore surgery I know of is designed to either cut away loose soft tissue or to enlarge the airways. This is the same with any other alternative “cures” that exist on the Internet. To further enlarge your airways, you can also do a procedure called Cautery Assisted Palatal Stiffening Operation. (CAPSO) Like the CAUP procedure above, the surgeon will use an electrocautery equipment. But instead of the uvula, the surgeon will remove your soft palate. (the soft tissue above your tongue) The CAPSO procedure has been proven to be successful 92% of the time in the short term and 77% success rate after 12 months. (click here to read the study on the CAPSO procedure)

There is a new and non-invasive snoring surgery to harden your soft palate. (so that it will not vibrate) It is called the pillar procedure. This procedure does not require the doctor to cut or burn away any soft palate tissue. It is relatively painless and can be done in 20 minutes using just local anesthetic. Did I get your interest yet? If not, get this, 80% of the bed partner is reported to be satisfied with the snoring reducing. 80% of the patient also shows a reduction in their Apnea Hypopnea Index level. (AHI, which measures the number of apneas and hypopneas that occur during sleep) And best of all, it works for both snoring and sleep apnea problem too.

Now that I have your attention I will explain how the Pillar procedure works. Tiny woven implants are inserted into the muscle of your soft palate. The pillar implants are about 18 mm (0.7 inces) in length and has a diameter of approximately 2 mm. (0.08 inches) These are very small, so they do not interfere with your eating, talking and breathing. You will not even feel the presence of the implants. The Pillar implants are made from polyester which has been used for 50 years in the medical industry for most implants product. It works by stiffening your soft palate. This will reduce vibrations of the soft palate significantly. Now this is important because of the most common reason why people snore is because of loose tissue.

All the above surgery is, unfortunately, no covered by the insurance company because it is considered a cosmetic surgery. (Outrageous, I know)

This concludes the surgery for those who are snoring because of blocked mouth airways. However if you are snoring because of nasal congestion, a different snoring surgery is required. Here is the good news. This surgery is covered by the insurance company because it improves your breathing during the day. The surgery your physician will most likely recommend you do is a nasal surgery or a deviated septum surgery. Your doctor might even use radio frequency to decrease the size of your nose’s turbines so that the nose airway is bigger and clear from any obstruction. The chances of you getting rid of your snoring problem are extremely high if the sole cause of your snoring problem is nasal congestion.

Sure, you can use various sprays or pills to clear your nasal pathway but it will not be effective if your problem is deviated nasal septum. This will need a deviated septum surgery known as septoplasty for sure. The nasal septum is the soft cartilage wall dividing your left and right nose. It is covered with skin and is supposed to be in the middle. Some of the time, it is not in the middle and this blocks your nose. Worse, the drainage of the sinuses is blocked and this will cause even more blockage and possibly infection. All this causes you to breath through your mouth and loud snoring follows. Sometimes, it will not be the fault of a deviated septum but something called the nasal polyps. This is a condition where benign growths develop in your sinuses and blocks your airways. Small nasal polyps can be cured fairly easily by using a corticosteroid nasal spray. If it is a big nasal Polyps growth; however, you will need to undergo a surgery called Endoscopic sinus surgery.

Another kind of surgery is the lower jaw advancing surgery. This is done to free your airways from obstruction. Because your tongue is connected to the lower jaw, (called mandible) a lower jaw advancing surgery can prevent the tongue for blocking your airways when it falls back in your mouth. Another invasive surgery that has an extremely high success rate is the tracheostomy procedure. It is the direct opening of the wind pipe, and it relieves both snoring and sleep apnea problem. It is one of the last-resort surgery that most people will not reach. So do not worry about it too much.

Of course, you must consult with your doctor on the surgery that are suitable for your anatomy and insist on asking the risk involved. You can even do your own research on the recommended snore surgery. See if the procedure has been proven to work in a peer to peer reviewed journal (which means other surgeons are able to perform or duplicate the success of the surgery) journal. Make sure the case are similar to yours and get a second opinion just to make sure.

Of course, there is a lot of other alternatives besides a snore surgery. You can ask your sleep specialist for advice and alternatives. I will list down some of them here. Other alternatives are snore guards, snore spray, CPAP machine (for apnea sufferer but with only 40% effectiveness) and herbs. I also advise you to find a specialist for opinion as they might know some new leading edge treatments that a General Practitioner (GP) has no knowledge. Normally, the specialist is called otolaryngologists, (They specialist in nose, ear and throat) oral surgeon and maxillofacial surgeon.

Now you might be wondering if all the above surgery hurts. It hurts like HELL after you have done the surgery and chances are you cannot even talk because of the pain. This is of course, depending on which surgery you are going to take. Some surgery will not hurt as much as others. And it will most likely hurt more if you combine more snoring surgery. After 24 hours, you will most likely feel a lot better and can talk almost without pain. For the next 1 week, you will feel little pain and you can function normally for most of the time. (Talking and eating will feel less than normal and a little bit of pain is to be expected) After two weeks you should be fully healed and feel no pain whatsoever. Of course, this is different for everyone and depends on what kind of surgeries you take.

The cause of snoring is relatively simple — the diaphragm collapses during sleep and the increased pressure causes the noisy suction of air through the windpipe and into the lungs. Many people are naturally frustrated by snoring because they can neither hear or control it, as almost all snoring occurs during deep REM sleep. Luckily, however, there are some simple and free steps they can take to reduce the likelihood of excessive snoring. Doctors and sleep scientists recommend certain behavioral changes, which may be more helpful than any patch or spray. Changing the posture of your sleep can completely eliminate snoring, but is difficult for even the strongest willed person. Almost all non-sleep apnea related snoring occurs from sleeping on your back; it may be as simple as falling asleep on your side of chest to stop snoring. This, however, requires active concentration during a time when the brain relaxes, and force of habit can keep a person immobile in their traditional sleeping position.

Other ways to decrease the volume and frequency of snoring can be done completely free; just as with posture, you need only change certain elements of your daily life. These changes, however, may be significantly difficult for most people to adapt to — doctors say that quitting smoking, exercising more, and not drinking during the evening will greatly reduce the chance of snoring. This is due to multiple factors of the specific physiology of the human body; both tobacco and alcohol increase the heart rate and thus breathing rates, so more air is needed, and is needed more quickly. Similarly, losing weight will decrease the demands of respiration, so that there is less pressure on the windpipe. Of course, many customers are uninterested in changing their personal life, so they prefer instead to purchase a product that does all the work for them.

One of these products is nasal strips that alleviate the flow of inhaled air, allowing for a greater quantity to reach the lungs and removing the need for increased suction (which causes the noise of snoring). Breathe Right nasal strips are the most popular product on the market, and can be found at practically any grocery store or pharmacy for around five to six dollars. These strips relieve the nasal congestion that increases the body’s need for oxygen, so a peaceful slumber may be just a matter of regular use. There are, however, many downsides to go along with the product. Only some ten percent of customers have found that Breathe Right strips had a positive influence, most claimed there was little or no improvement. Some reviewers found the strips intrusive and uncomfortable; others expressed frustration at having to buy a new pack every week. The strips certainly are not a long-term solution, but for heavy snorers can be a welcome relief.

A permanent but extremely expensive option is corrective medical treatment, ranging from simple braces to complex surgery. Depending on your doctor’s input, this can be a complete fix for a severe snorer’s woes, but only those with extreme sleep apnea or respiratory problems are recommended to seek out the medical option. Some sufferers of sleep apnea can have their airways blocked for several seconds at a time during the night, meaning that the operation is certainly a healthier option. The surgery can cost anywhere from five to twenty thousand dollars, however, so many customers simply cannot afford it. Those that do, however, report that almost all their respiratory problems ceased after they had had the operation, and very few had recurring problems afterward.

However, many cases of sleep apnea are not severe and can even be reversed with proper diet, exercise and medical care. As far as the snoring is concerned, a snoring chin strap may be considered a viable alternative to a CPAP machine. Invented in 2001, the snoring chin strap was first considered by many as a scam or gimmick just to make money off of people who snore. But time and testing has proven the snoring chin strap to be an effective anti-snoring device in most cases and is now even administered by some clinics and hospitals that are treating sleep apnea.

It should be clearly understood that the snoring chin strap is not a cure for sleep apnea. However, many users say that they do get a better night’s sleep because the snoring strap does exactly what it is designed to do – it keeps them from snoring by relieving the pressure on the throat from breathing through the mouth during the night. That pressure causes the vibrations in the throat that result in the snoring sound.

The snoring chin strap is relatively simple piece of equipment; once in place, it supports the jaw in an upward position, which keeps the mouth closed. It also keeps the jaw from drifting back and down against the throat – a common occurrence when lying down. This support of the jaw actually allows the air passage to open more, which, in turn, reduces the velocity of the air going down the throat.

It is much like partially closing the opened end of a garden hose with the thumb. The more the end is covered, the faster the water – through simple linear acceleration – travels out of the end of the hose. When the thumb uncovers the end of the hose, the water flow returns to normal. By using the snoring chin strap, the pressure on the throat is relieved in much the same way and the vibrations causing the snoring is stopped. This results in a restful, restorative night of sleep and less sleepiness or the need for catnaps during the day.

The only drawback is when the patient has a head cold and finds breathing through his or her nose, rather than the mouth, more difficult. In such cases, health care providers suggest the use of a nasal decongestant spray before going to bed to help keep the nasal passages open.

The most common complaint regarding the snoring strap – other than the fact that most people say it looks funny – is the period of time it takes to get use to wearing it. Some complain that they just cannot get use to the strap holding their jaw in place, thus keep their mouth closed – they feel conscious of the strap at first, making relaxation difficult. Most snoring chin strap users admit that it takes a few days to get use to, but they are also quick to add that it is worth the effort.

Ironically, generally the same complaints are heard by roughly the same number of CPAP users, i.e.; the CPAP looks funny, feels strange and, in fewer cases, getting use to the face mask and the sound of the CPAP machine seems impossible.

The design of the snoring chin strap is basic with little variation from model to model and most are in the price range of $9 – $20, though some can cost as much as $90 with very little difference in design or product performance when compared to the less expensive models. They can easily be bought online and ship to arrive within three business days.

The Anti Snoring pillow has become a popular inexpensive and non-invasive alternative of snoring aids available at retails stores and drug stores locally. Nevertheless, how effective can a pillow really be is the question? Not all pillows are created, constructed or priced equally. If a pillow is not fit to support the head properly, you will notice no or little snore reduction. The only true way for people who snore to monitor the difference of this is for their spouse or family member to observe them over night, or record their snoring tendencies. In fact, most people do not know they snore unless one of these two occurs, because people snore during sleep.

Medical industry manufacturers noticed the profitability of this snoring reduction market, a launched several different versions of the anti snoring pillow. These aids are meant to help a large number of people around the world that do not have the insurance or time to undergo procedures. They are only designed for those who sleep on their backs or sides depending on the product, so for the restless sleeper, these pillows are not the answer for you.

Production of pillows with the right materials will support the neck and head and allow the maximum airflow through the airways of your throat. The primary reason of snoring is blocked airways that air is restricted of flowing properly through your windpipe during a sleeping state. While these pillows do prove to be effective for those who sleep soundly and in one position throughout the entire night, most people do have the tendency of tossing and turning during the night. Because of this, newer pillows are being released that are designed for all types of sleeping patterns, and may be a new must-have for snorers.

One of the many advantages of this sleeping aid is that it is easy to use and requires no real special instructions or installation. Simply take of the wrapper and place it on the bed when it is time for bed. Some brands do have the choice of an air chamber, which allows for height adjustment, but other then that, no real work must be done.

Another one of the advantages of anti snoring pillows is that they are a fast remedy for snoring, unlike surgeries and frequent doctors visits. While it may seem like the premise is too easy, the actuality is that once the airways are opened up for air to travel through, snoring stops and so do other conditions such as sleep apnea. Studies by medical professionals have shown that quality pillows prove effective to the average snorer in any home. While they are a solution, remember this is a temporary fix, without the pillow you are right back to your nightly routine.

One last advantage is that these pillows are therapeutically designs, for the most ergonomic sleep. For people who often experience headaches and migraines, these contraptions can relieve pressure and tension, and therefore rid you of headaches. This pressure relief quality can also prevent waking up with sore backs and necks.

While there are several advantages with this sleeping aid, the truth is that is does not get to the root of the problem. Snoring can be caused by smoking, alcohol and obesity. While these are not the only causes, they are the few that are most frequently seen in those with snoring problems and sleep apnea. If you want to reduce your snoring, the anti snoring pillow is a good temporary solution, but it is important to get to the root of the problem for your overall health.