The expert’s snore cure

An effective cure to snoring is not easy to come by. JOE spoke to specialist Dr John O'Brien to get some expert help.

By William Nestor

Snorers, more often than not, are oblivious to the consternation they are causing for their exhausted partners in the bedroom.

To say that snoring is a 'problem', is a broad generalisation. It is, in fact, a symptom of sleep apnoea - a sleep disorder characterised by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing during sleep.

If you are a heavy snorer there is no need to be immediately alarmed, as not all snorers suffer from sleep apnoea. It is, however, a very good idea to seek medical advice if snoring is causing difficulties in a relationship or if an interrupted sleeping pattern is starting to occur.

I’ve treated people who’ve had 20 years of sleeping in separate rooms and marriages breaking up.

Snoring can be very effectively controlled with a correctly made oral appliance resembling an orthodontic retainer, Dr John O’Brien of Snoring Solutions told JOE.ie.

“I lecture to dentists and doctors about it and I always start off with a joke - but it’s not a joke to people that are affected. The snorer is ofen blissfully unaware but the partner suffers greatly.

“I’ve treated people who’ve had 20 years of sleeping in separate rooms and marriages breaking up, maybe not entirely because of snoring, but when you haven’t slept in the same room for that long marriages tend to drift apart.”

So, there’s married couples all around the country sleeping in separate rooms because of uncontrollable snoring. Well, uncontrollable if you’ve tried nearly every trick in the book.

“They try all the simple stuff like sprays which I’m sure doesn’t work,” Dr O’Brien stresses. “I mean if it works they’re not going to come and see me.

“A little bit of snoring isn’t a problem. We’ve probably all gone on a golf trip with someone who’s snoring but when you have that every night of your life it’s quite serious.”

And what of sleep apnoea? Dr O’Brien says that only one in 20 suffer from the condition here in Ireland and, of course, it needs to be treated.

“Sleep apnoea is really medically important because it may cause medical problems,” the snoring expert explains.

“Snoring doesn’t cause medical problems. 99 per cent of people with sleep apnoea will be loud snorers, however, loud snorers shouldn’t be worried they have sleep apnoea. For instance, probably 5 per cent of the total population of Ireland suffer from a significant degree of sleep apnoea. That’s a degree of sleep apnoea that warrants treatment. Probably 60 per cent of males at 40 are snoring and by 60 about 70 per cent have a fairly serious snoring problem.”

Distinguishing between the loud snorer and the sleep apnoea sufferer can be done via an overnight polysomnogram – a sleep study. However, when we picture loud snorers, we automatically think of an overweight male who probably drinks and smokes heavily. That’s the extreme, but Dr O’Brien says that stereotype is definitely not a fit for the clients he has coming through his doors.

I’ve been making appliances for 10 years and I can’t think of one person this appliance hasn’t worked for.

“It’s all age groups. The typical snorer we imagine is middle-aged, very much overweight and maybe drinks and smokes a lot but I see guys in their twenties who have been bad snorers as long as they can remember,” Dr O’Brien says.

“They’re thin and may have been snoring since their teens. It all depends on your airway.”

And so to the solution. Snorers have tried pillows, sprays, all kinds of barmy ideas. But what, in the expert’s opinion, is the best way to cure snoring?

“The vast majority of people can be controlled extremely effectively with an appliance like a gum shield – in fact it’s a double gum shield because there’s an appliance worn in the jaw, the upper and lower teeth. It holds the jaw in a slightly forward position and it will eliminate snoring. I’ve been making appliances for 10 years and I can’t think of one person it hasn’t worked for. For the people whose lives are affected, those who are sleeping in separate rooms, it’s the answer.

“In terms of treatment there are other methods; including surgery. It’s been going on since the early 80s. It’s not a recent thing, it’s just that people haven’t been aware of it. It’s popular in the US but not so much in Ireland.”

“There’s no way of assessing if it will work or not. Only 50 per cent of people on average will benefit from surgery. I had a woman come to me recently who had surgery six years ago and it worked but after five years the snoring returned. So, she ended up with an appliance which now works.”

Dr John O’Brien has two practices in Dublin, one in Galway, one in Bray and one in Portlaoise. See www.snoringsolutions.ie for more details.