Going Right For The Throat: Stopping Sleep Apnea Where It Starts

Sleep apnea is a serious problem. It prevents people from breathing properly at night, which leads to several other physical health problems, including strokes and high blood pressure. If you have sleep apnea, you know how serious it is and how it makes you feel. Perhaps you have even tried using pills and a sleep apnea machine, all to no avail. Thankfully, there are sleep apnea procedures which can help eliminate this potentially life-threatening condition.

Removal of the Uvula, Tonsils, and Adenoids

Some people, including children, have unusually large tonsils, uvulae, and adenoids. If this is your problem the solution is a very simple one. An ENT (ear, nose, throat doctor) excises (removes via surgery) all of these soft glads and tissues from your throat. Now you will have a much wider throat opening that is not blocked by any of these.

Tightening Loose Throat Muscles

Other people have loose muscles in the throat. The muscle tissue ends up blocking the airway while you sleep. During what is ordinarily considered a cosmetic procedure, the ENT and cosmetic surgeon make incisions in your neck, pull these muscles taut, and suture everything in place. After the post-surgical swelling goes down, you should notice some immediate results as you lay down to sleep at night.

Bringing the Receding Chin Forward

Some people are just born with a receding chin. It is a lower jaw that is tucked behind the upper jaw, and when you sleep, it becomes slack. You can see this in your profile too. It looks as though you have not much of a chin at all. If this applies to you, another cosmetic procedure can bring the chin forward. It is akin to having someone lift your chin for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, only your chin remains up and forward indefinitely. You may even like your new profile with the chin surgery.

Thinning out the Writer's Chin

Many authors have a double chin, which is often referred to as an "author's chin" because authors attempt to hide this with turtle necks. Frankly, you know it is a roll of chin and neck fat. If you have it liposuctioned, and then remove some of the excess skin, it may help open your airway so you can breathe better.

When the Throat and Chin Are Not Your Issues

There are a lot of other causes for sleep apnea. The ones mentioned above address the most common causes. Ask your ENT what he/she thinks is affecting your ability to breath while you sleep. He or she will also have surgical solutions for causes not mentioned above.