Help! Snoring, need advice!

Date: 2/27/2006 5:28:50 PM
Author: Kimberly
Yeah!!!!! Finally a subject where I am the expert. I am a licensed Respiratory therapist. I have done sleep studies. RTs know all about breathing ANNNND I have a masters in Psych where I have studied sleep and sleeping brain activity in detail...


All the other people are correct you must see a doctor either an ear nose and throat or better yet a pulmonologist specializing in sleep disorders.

Any snoring means that air cannot get into and out of your lungs with ease. There is a restriction of some sort that creates the noise . Breathing should never be work. Often times simple positioning can relieve the snoring, other times our anatomy gets in the way like giant tonsils a stuffy nose ect ect.

Some people snore due to the fact that their upper airway sort of collapses more than it should creating obstruction. From what you have indicated this sounds like your problem.

Surgery is a last resort in all snoring cases.

Weight loss, positioning, having the baby-'pregnant woman often snore', eliminating ETOH at bedtime and any sort of meds that depress the central nervous system and not allowing yourself to get overly tired may solve the problem. Also if you have allergies you may need to have that evaluated.

Second line of defense may be oral and nasal devices that work to keep the airway patent or open. This also includes a machine called cpap that you wear while sleeping over your nose or your nose and mouth.

If you are in the Los Angeles area I would be happy to recommend someone.

Good luck-I used to snore as a kid too. Also just because you snored all your life does not mean excessive weight is not the cause. Children often snore due to inflammed airways due to the numerous viruses ect that we have while growing up. A swollen tonsil is enough to make a child snore as their airway is allready narrow enough due to their small bodies.

Even as little as 10 pounds of extra weight can cause you to snore.

Date: 2/28/2006 11:28:26 AM
Author: Kimberly
Dunno why you quoted me
(I did because you had good things to say )

I sense some sacarsm but since you said essentially the same thing I assume you agree.
(No sarcasm orriginally intended. That is one of the difficult things about being on a public forum, it is sometimes hard to decifer tone.)

(If I wanted to be sarcastic I would have said something to the effect of your original post "I am finally an expert on a subject" ... I would have said "Yeah, that's right, and I am just the nurse"

For all of you non medical people out there, there has been this not so secret rivalry between most Resp therp's & RN's ... Most RN's think they know it all (they don't by the way ... careful I might get my lisc. revoked for saying that!), and don't give the RT proper and due respect for what they do know & contibute. I personally married an RT & I am an RN ... oxymoron! I think he married me because I admit that I don't know it all, and I practice within my scope, I also admit and trust my life with an ICU/ER RT therapist anyday! They know their stuff "who do the rn's call when the vent's not working and the alarms are buzzing? The RT!

BTW Docs don't do the sleep studies RTs do
(Yes you are correct, (Polysom tech's can do sleep studies too) did I say the Dr. is the one actually doing the sleep study? I don't see where I said that?) and we write the report and determine with our machines whether or not apnea occured. (Of course you guys do!) The MD takes what we say and decides the next course of action. Which could be one of many things. AND I will give you my Demantoid if you can find an MD that knows how to work a cpap machine!!!! (You don't have to give me your Demantoid (Actually there are 3 Dr's that my hubby knows of that can and do know how to work a CPAP machine, adjust pressures, etc ...  FYI) (I know pretty dang amazing!)

AND NOT all snorers Oxygenation is negatively effected. (I did not state that all snorers O2 is negatively effected) Only a small percentage (I personally would not want to be in the small percentage, why take a chance when it is so easy to be evaluated and a Dr. can determine if it is a serious risk or not?). That only occurs in patients where people stop breathing all together due to complete airway collapse. These are the people that awake with a gasp to pop open their airway after a period of NO snoring. These people present with many more symptoms than the first poster posted such as exhaustion T/O the day. If snoring is continuous the person is ventilating enough to keep their oxygen level normal that is why you can hear them breath/snore. (Listen, I am just posting here as a person, I am posting here with my personal info that is about me too, I posted about what I have had, and yes I snore, and yes I have seen my MD to be evaluated, yes ... even though I snore, my O2 has at times been recorded as being abnormally low, so again, I am pursuing the thoughts and recommendations of my DR. I am not an expert, If I wanted the expert I would consult my Doctor for a professional evaluation and referal not myself or my hubby, and if my DR. wanted me to go to see a sleep specialist if that is the case, I definately would want to go to a Dr. who is Board Certified in the field of Sleep Study, and not some Family medicine Dr. who just happens to dabble in sleep study ... the latter are out there. Just like I wouldn't go see my OB/GYN because I was experiencing chest pain.

BTW In this last situation the sound of someone snoring is good! As far as me posting about the 32 yr old man, hey I knew that guy. I worked with that guy! Yes he snored. Was his Primary Care Dr. aware of his snoring? Nope. He didn't think it was a big deal. He is survived by his wife and 8 yr & 2 yr old kids. I am not posting this as an RN, I am posting this as a human being, because you never know. Life is too short to take chances sometimes, I personally don't want to take chances when it's so simple to make an appt to be checked out. I don't think there is a need to assume the worst and frighten someone when there is no need. (If I was assuming the worst, and wanting to frighten someone, I would have stated something like "Oh my god! You definately got some major a$$ problems, and you had better call in sick from work and get your a$$ down to the ER, If you don't your gonna DIE!) I didn't say that ... All I said was to go see her Dr. so her Dr. could then determine is she had any serious risks or not. Just go get checked out, and let the PCP figure it out ... that is why he/she went to med school, and why I didn't.

Looks like Wren made an appt, and that is positively the best thing she can do for herself.

Date: 2/28/2006 7:48:54 PM
Author: Kimberly
He uses this one http://www.astelin.com/

It was trial and error as he does'nt have allergies in the traditional sense but environmental conditions occassionally irritate his nasal passages and his nostrils react via inflammation =restriction=snoring! Sometimes simple and cheap Saline sprays 'salt water' does the trick too by rinsing out the irritants . Other times a spray such as Astelin helps as it is an anti histamine-which prevents inflammation in the first place. If these too things don't clear chronic nasal congestion inhaled streroids are the next step.

PS don't even think of those over the counter nasal sprays such as Afrin. They are no good and dangerous for many reasons.

Date: 3/1/2006 3:46:48 AM
Author: pebbles







Afrin is a decongestant, not an antihistamine, so it is in a completely different class of drugs than Astelin. The OTC spray decongestants are actually very effective and not dangerous if used properly....but they should not be used as a long term treatment for snoring.

MsDarlinJoy -- I too know of someone that literally died one night from sleep apnea. Like the guy you knew, he didn't realize that his snoring was a problem. That's why I'm so glad my uncle has his cpap machine.

Date: 3/1/2006 3:39:21 PM
Author: Kimberly

Where did I say Afrin was a decongestant OR an antihistimine? Afrin used to contain epinephrine but after tons of addictions and heart attacks perhaps they changed the ingredants.I have seen several heart attacks in my er due to it but I haven't lately been in the ER for a few years sooo so perhaps they changed it.

Anyhoo, it is probably unsuitable for snoring IMHO. But if the docs like it. I wouldn't actually know. As Darlin up there I was just taking time out of my day to help.


Hahaha A Pricescope Nurse. Well that would account for the response! I did not know you were a nurse. A good nurse is worth her weight in Alexandrite as a good RT is. Too bad there is so few good ones of either! Yes there is a strong rivalry between our two fields. It is really sad too. Our education takes the exact same amount of time. We are both lic. and both critical to patient care. I actually plan on doing some research on the subject as that is what the MS is in research.

Hopefully, I can get it published. What I have learned is that every hospital seems to be different. The more power an RT has-like those who can run codes and intubate-the more animosity. When the RT is regulated to knob turning-following orders rather than protocals their seems to be less friction.

Only the patient can be hurt.

PS it is not the RT degree and 18 years in the field that makes me feel expert here. It is my Masters as I worked in a sleep center and read literally 1000's of articles on the subject along with conducting research.

But for the record I get PAID to talk about this.