What is snoring?
Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound due to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The trauma to the upper airway tissues during snoring and sleep apnoeas damages either muscle fibres or peripheral nerve fibres and this impairs the stabilizing action of the muscles and increases the tendency of the airway to obstruct.
Which are the causes for snoring?
Snoring is the result of the relaxation of the uvula and soft palate. These tissues can relax enough to partially block the airway, resulting in irregular airflow and vibrations. Snoring can be attributed, among others, to one or more of the following: throat weakness (causing the throat to close during sleep), obesity, obstruction in the nasal passageway, large tonsils and adenoids, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), relaxants such as alcohol or other drugs.
What are the options for patients who snore?
Although a wide range of treatments is now available for snoring and sleep apnoeas, objective evidence of outcome benefits is sparse. Non-surgical options such as oral appliances (splints, braces, nasal strips), CPAP masks, weight loss, palatal implants and decongestants require a regular use and are not always as effective as expected. Surgical treatments, that can be targeted at different anatomical regions in the upper airway, are often not preferred because of their invasiveness.
How does the Romeo® laser treatment work?
The goal of the treatment is to strengthen the structure of the soft palate and uvula, achieved by a fractional method that causes a microscopic damage to the mucous membrane. During the treatment, a large amount of energy is applied at the same time. As a result, the soft palate is fixed (so called «hypertrophy of mucosa») and becomes more stable during breathing, since a greater resistance to the passage of turbulent airflow throughout the night is provided. More than 50 % of patients and their bed partners report an excellent snoring improvement.
