Snoring Surgery With Open Rhinoplasty to Correct Scar Tissue in the Nasal Structure

Snoring may not seem like a problem, but something you think is minor can lead to bigger problems in your life. The person next to you often has to nudge you or wake you up, you do not feel rested, you wake up feeling unrefreshed and tired as if you have not slept enough, your mouth and throat are dry every morning, and you get headaches, forget things often, get irritated easily and find it hard to concentrate at work. These are signs that snoring is causing you problems.

Men Are More Likely to Snore Than Women

Snoring happens when your airway is not clear. After you fall asleep, instead of breathing freely as you do when awake, the muscles in your mouth and throat relax and block the airway. When breathing is blocked, oxygen and air do not reach the lungs properly, and some people may even stop breathing for a time.

Blocked or difficult breathing can affect your health and is linked to many conditions, such as an irregular heartbeat, stroke and erectile dysfunction.

Things That Can Trigger Snoring

• being overweight
• allergies affecting the airway
• a blocked nose or difficulty breathing, which may be caused by a deviated septum
• a small, short or receding chin, or a face with an unusual shape
• enlarged tonsils blocking the airway
• getting older, because muscles lose tone and the muscles around the airway relax, which can also block the airway
• hormone problems
• conditions affecting the brain and muscles, such as Parkinson’s disease and partial paralysis

Habits That Can Cause Snoring

• drinking alcohol and smoking
• taking antihistamines, anti-anxiety medicines or other medicines that make you drowsy

Treatment Options for Snoring

• losing weight
• sleeping on your side with your head raised on a high pillow
• using a machine that blows air into the upper airway (CPAP), or a device that holds the tongue or jaw forward
• using a dental device to hold the jaw in place, so the tongue and jaw do not fall back because of gravity
• snoring surgery
• septoplasty (surgery to straighten the septum)

Snoring can be eased, and in some cases it can be resolved. A doctor needs to assess how severe it is so the cause can be treated. People with mild snoring may choose self-care. If the cause is a deviated septum, septoplasty (surgery to straighten the septum) is an option.

Nose Surgery for Snoring (Septoplasty)

During surgery the surgeon can see problems with the septum, especially if you have a deviated septum and a blocked nose. If you snore and also want rhinoplasty to change the shape of your nose, the open technique can be used to correct the septum and release scar tissue in the nasal structure, which may also help reduce snoring. However, book a consultation with a surgeon for advice before you decide.

If you snore and need surgery to correct your septum, you can have rhinoplasty in the same operation, so you do not need the wound opened several times. This may help reduce snoring, and you wake up with a new nose in the shape you agreed with the surgeon at your consultation.