Are you looking for snoring relief? Here’s an overview about snoring and what you can do about it. Amy Hendel from iVillage.com talks about why we snore and different treatments that are available.  It is a serious subject this is a serious disease which causes marriage break ups and health problems. It’s not just men who snore. In the news, statistics suggest that 45% of men and 30% of women snore.

At the base of the problem is restrictive breathing. Any blockages in your nose, mouth and throat can cause snoring. Snoring becomes more serious when the problems are further down in the back of the throat.

How do you know if you have sleep apnea?

So what’s annoying and whats serious? You can have your spouse do a sleep diary where they are watching you. If you stop breathing while you’re sleeping and gasp for air, you probably have sleep apnea. Also, if your a true sleep apnea snorer, you will still snore on your side.

Here are some devices to help you stop snoring.

• Cpap machine -They are used if you are a sleep apnea suffer but not if you’re a light snorer. If you have ruled out all other causes of your snoring you would go for a sleep study. Your doctor writes a prescription after a sleep study and you would be fitted with a  Cpap mask. Insurance does pay for this device.
• Mouth pieces – They basically all work by moving the tongue forward to stop the vibration within your throat. These can be adjusted to fit your mouth.
• Nasal strips and nostril expanders – They work if you are a nasal snorer. Do a quick check to find out if you are.
• Nasal moisturizers and sprays – If your snoring is brought on by a bad cold, allergies or asthma, you can moisten the airways. This stops the vibrations in back of the throat.

What should you do about your snoring?  To find relief, it’s important to figure out why you snore since the cause isn’t always the same for everyone. You can narrow down the problem by doing these simple tests. Next find a remedy based on those tests. You can also have your spouse  do a sleep diary of your sleeping habits. If you live alone, tape your self while you sleep. Next go to  see a doctor who specializes in sleep apnea, or nasal snoring. You can also look under “ear, nose and throat doctor” in the yellow pages. They will diagnose your problem and possibly get you to do a sleep study.  Looking for more snoring relief info that actually works? Here’s a relatively new procedure called the Pillar Procedure which is now available in New York.

The Pillar Procedure was recently featured in the media and on “The Doctors” TV show. It’s a very quick surgical procedure where they insert thin rod shaped implants at the back of the soft palate. The implants minimize the vibration of the soft palate which causes the snoring. Please watch the video to see how it’s done.

Facts About the Pillar Procedure

• The vibration of the soft palate is the major cause of sleep apnea and snoring problems.
• This procedure is done in one in-office setting using local anesthetic. It is a completely reversible procedure.
• Dr. Kimmelman will evaluate your specific condition and determine if this is the best treatment option for you.
• It’s an FDA approved surgery that is done in a New York Clinic by doctor Charles Kimmelman.
• There’s a local anesthetic injection in the soft palate and the whole procedure took a few minutes.
• The pillar inserts have been used in medical products for many years now. They are made of a soft polyester material and are 18 mm in length.
• It may take up to three months after the implants are implanted for the soft palate to fully stiffen.
• There is less than 1% complication rate.

The Pillar Procedure Compared to Other Surgical Procedures

• It has achieved comparable results to those surgical procedures that are more aggressive.
• The Pillar Procedure does not require removing tissues, heating or chemical agents. So this procedure causes minimal discomfort.
• Most patients resume normal activities and diet the very same day.
• Other surgical treatments require a series of office visits or are performed in an operating room setting under general anesthesia.

The Pillar Procedure is conducted in Dr. Kimmelman’s office in New York. You can find out more by going to www.stopsnoringnewyork.com. Find out what’s new in snoring relief procedures. There’s always something going on at clinics and medical communities.

As useful as an alarm clock, it can prove to be doubly annoying. I wonder how many times most of us have shouted “Shut up!” at it, but of course, it doesn’t. Little Worlds Studio however makes our wish come true in their new iPhone app called the Stop Snoring Alarm.

Clap On! Clap Off! It's not the clapper, it's an iphone app.

This iPhone app can do what your spouse normally does. As the name suggests, it does more than just work as an alarm. In fact it does three different things all at once.

• The main use of this app is that you can use it as a regular alarm. Your alarm can be recorded with your own voice or a song from your iPod library. No need to reach over and shut it off. It’ll stop ringing if you shout at it or clap your hands! This is eerily reminiscent of the Clapper. It kind of takes away from the cool factor of an iphone but oh well!
• The second bonus feature – It can detect your snoring and sound the alarm.
• The third bonus feature – It analyzes your sleep and gives you an accurate account of how loud and how often you snored during the night.  The data is shown in a graphical presentation of a 7 night period. Geeze what more can you ask for?

The Anti Snoring iPhone App is  an effective 3 in 1 device. It’s an alarm, snore detector and sleep analyzer.   I think its a great for those that have no clue how loud and how often they really snore! At last your spouse will have the proof she so desperately needs.  It’s funny how we all just assume that it’s the man who snores. Rosie O”Donnell claims to snore like a freight train until she was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Unfortunately most women are misdiagnosed and never get the treatment they need.

Rosie ODonnell raised awareness  in the news a few years back, about the myths surrounding women with sleeping disorders. They don’t seem to fit the stereotype so women are not being treated effectively for sleep apnea. In this video Rosie discusses the sleep diagnosis process and how the CPAP mask is used.

Myth #1 – “Only heavy set, older men have sleep apnea.” It’s been proven in multiple published research studies that even thin, young women have sleep apnea. The women mistakenly think that they have insomnia. So most doctors would not even think to do the proper tests even if you have the common symptoms and signs of sleep apnea.

Myth #2 – “I don’t snore therefore I don’t have sleep apnea.” Severe snoring is mostly associated with  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This is the case in  severe sleep apnea patients. Although if you have mild to moderate sleep apnea, you may not snore at all.

Myth #3 – “I don’t have sleep apnea, I’m only a light sleeper.” This is a common statement among women. You can’t tell if you have sleep apnea if you’re sleeping unless you wake up while your snoring. In mild cases, or if you don’t snore, you or your mate would never recognize if you had sleep apnea unless you had a test done.

Myth #4 -: “Since I can’t sleep in the lab the sleep test will be inaccurate.” Some patients complain that they didn’t sleep at all.  Although the brain waves on their sleep study results shows that there was significant sleep present. Also sleep apnea is defined as someone who stops breathing for 10 seconds or longer. Although many women don’t realize that there’s a lesser form of an apnea. This is where there’s still some airflow although it greatly diminished.


Sleep apnea in women and the myths surrounding OSA can lead to serious health problems such as stroke, heart attack, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Please keep this in mind. When it comes to obstructive sleep apnea, there are no absolutes.  There’s another myth surrounding children who snore but unfortunately there are some serious health side effects.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea in children is a common concern for some parents. Dr. Craig Schwimmer discusses the symptoms and treatments options.

The Symptoms of Snoring in Children

• Morning headaches
• Irratibility
• Mood disorders
• Increased aggressiveness
• ADD
• Bed wetting
• Sleeping longer than normal
• Having a hard time growing and gaining weight

Any regular snoring in children is abnormal and should be discussed with your Pediatrician. It’s very dangerous if it goes undiagnosed. Children can have major behaviour, growth and development difficulties. Snoring is not treated the same way in kids as it is with adults. Normally the adenoids and tonsils are removed.

One study done in Michigan had children monitored over a four year period. Those with snoring had a four times the increased risk of attention and behaviour difficulties.


The latest news about snoring in children is a recent sleep study done in the May issue of the journal “Chest”. In a study conducted with 800 children, Italian researchers found that obese children are three times more likely to snore than children of normal weight. Overweight kids were two times more likely to snore.