Snoring may be considered humourous, but it’s anything but funny.

Whilst snoring has always been seen as something quite humourous and often used in films to depict someone as such; the fact is that snoring should be taken more seriously. On a superficial level, if our partner snores, we are likely to get poor quality sleep, leaving us tired the next day. Over a period of time, this tiredness could accumulate and even result in poor health.

For the person who snores though; although they may be unaware of it, the health risks associated with it are even more profound.

What causes snoring

Snoring is caused when the airways become partially blocked by the soft tissues in the mouth. This causes vibrations, resulting in the snoring sound that we are familiar with. This partial blockage, especially if it happens frequently throughout the night, results in a restriction of oxygen into our bodies. The end result of this is that we are likely to feel anywhere from tired to exhausted the following day.

This tiredness can prevent us from leading our lives to the full and may cause problems with concentration at work, or more dangerous still, when driving.

In extreme cases, sleep apnea may be the cause of snoring. This is where the oxygen is blocked for several seconds, and may result in us waking, gasping for air. If this occurs, it is important to see your GP.

Somnowell

At Beau Monde Dental Care, we are able to offer help to snorers with an anti snoring device called Somnowell. This device allows the tongue and the lower jaw to be held in a relaxed position whilst we sleep, enabling a natural air flow into our lungs.

Using Somnowell has meant that many of our patients from the Bristol area have, after many years of snoring, finally been able to get a good night’s sleep and go about their days feeling fresh and alert. Their partners too have benefitted and, indeed, some patients have actually been sent by their partners who simply have had enough of sleepless nights.

Whilst we may once have laughed off our snoring, more recent medical guidance has indicated that we should take it more seriously, and the fact that we are able to fit Somnowell at our Bristol dental practice; one of only a few places where staff are qualified to do so, offers a great opportunity to people from the Bristol area who suffer from this sometimes misunderstood problem.

To find out more about what we can do to help your snoring problem, please call us on 0117 330 3495.