If you are considering surgery to stop snoring, chances are you are suffering from severe snoring or sleep apnea. It might be already affecting your relationship with your partner and you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue that it is affecting both your health and social conditions. There are several procedures developed by medical experts that are supposedly meant to treat the harsh snoring problem and sleep apnea.


Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), also known as Palatopharyngoplasty is a surgical procedure wherein the doctor takes out the tonsils and parts of the uvula and the soft palate. The goal is to enlarge the throat by removing some tissues in the area. When this happens, there is ample room for airflow and breathing becomes clearer thereby preventing the production of the vibrating and disrupting sound known as snoring.


When laser is applied in the similar procedure, it is called Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP. It is done under local anesthetic and uses laser to shorten the uvula and vaporize parts of the palate. Another procedure called Cautery-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (CAUP) uses cautery equipment instead of laser. It uses heated wire or electrode is used to remove all or part of the uvula. There are also evasive procedures that works by stiffening the tissues in the throat and soft palate such as Somnoplasty and Coblation.


Undergoing stop snoring surgery is a highly personal decision and there are always risks and complications involved. You should subject yourself into it only after the specialist's advice. Once the doctor, the otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) has done a thorough medical evaluation most specifically your upper respiratory tract and had an overnight sleep study to measure the degree of severity. Also, if you think that you have tried every treatment possible, including lifestyle changes and noninvasive approaches like over the counter anti-snoring products and CPAPs and nothing works for you.


The best thing for you is to do your research to find out how effective these surgical procedures are. If snoring continues to disrupt your life and your health, it is best to consult a physician and see what your available options are.

Solution 1 - Sleeping Position
Snoring usually happens because the soft tissue in your larynx blocks your air passage when you sleep. The tissue sags the most when sleeping on your back, so, the simplest solution is to try sleeping on your side.


If you have a tendency to roll or move in your sleep, propping pillows in front and behind can help hold you in place. If you or a loved one is handy with a needle and thread, you could even try sewing the props to your sleepwear. If this solution doesn't help much (like in my case), then it's time to move on to a stronger measure.


Solution 2 - Changing Habits
The other common reason for snoring is if you have an unhealthy habit, for example, if you are overweight, smoke, or drink a fair amount of alcohol. Any one of these can be a direct cause of your snoring, in which case you would need to do something about it.


This solution obviously isn't easy, as you will need to make some (possibly big) life changes. Assess your own situation, and seek expert opinions and advice if you think you need to make these changes.


Solution 3 - Sprays
Another solution is to try lubricating your throat before going to sleep. This helps smooth the air passageway, and can reduce the sound of snoring. You can buy many different types of throat moisturizers, with varying degrees of effectiveness.


Solution 4 - Surgery
Recently, there have been innovations regarding surgery to help cure snoring. One procedure involves the injection of a hardening agent into the soft tissue. In some cases, this injection must be repeated a few times to get optimum results.


A second type of surgery that has gained traction is the use of small implants. They are placed at the back of the throat to stiffen the soft tissue, thereby preventing it from sagging.