Snoring is a common problem that can impact your health in the long term, as well as your relationships. Indeed, it can be just as difficult for partners of snorers as it is for the patients themselves. In cases of chronic snoring, it is important to find the right treatment before the problem develops into something more serious. Fortunately, there are plenty of treatment options available right now for those looking to end this health problem for good.
If you are looking for a treatment for snoring, you might be curious about botox emerging as an option. Find out more about what botox is and how it relates to snoring treatment.
What is Botulinum Toxin?
Botulinum toxin, also known as botox, is a type of substance that is injected into the skin to inhibit muscle movement. You might have heard of the term botox before and associate it with cosmetic procedures designed to slow down the aging effect of the skin. Indeed, those who get botox done on their skin do so in an effort to stop wrinkles from forming.
The substance that is injected through this procedure is a naturally occurring protein. In medical terms, this substance is allowed for injection to human skin in order to relax facial muscles. It is important that this procedure is done under the supervision of a trained medical professional. This is because botox can be dangerous when present at dangerous levels. In fact, it can paralyse and kill. But with the right amount of dosage and the purity of the substance, it is safe to use on humans.
Botox injections can temporarily improve your appearance without undergoing surgery. This is a popular treatment among celebrities because of the aesthetic benefits and the ability to preserve youth. Recently, though, it is being looked at as an option for snoring treatment. It is due to the ability of these injections to relax the muscles in your air passage so that it won’t obstruct the breathing and cause vibrations (that lead to snoring).
Botox for Snoring
In an effort to provide more non-invasive treatment options for snoring, there have been numerous clinical studies on the use of botox for snoring treatment. Known as botulinum toxin injection, this form of treatment has produced positive results in initial studies such as this one from Regensburg University conducted on patients who are diagnosed with habitual snoring (not necessarily diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea). With a 20 U dosage of the type A botox injection, the case of snoring was significantly reduced and is backed with snoring noise recording.
While the result of the aforementioned study is inconclusive given the size of the sample, experts are hoping that this will give more options for those who are chronic snorers in the future. The goal of the study of botox as a potential treatment option is driven by the desire to offer treatment that is easy to perform, non-invasive, safe, and fully reversible.
How to Choose Snoring Treatment
Botox is one of the newer options for treatment that is currently being looked at for snoring. But there are far more options to choose from and there are some that have more scientific evidence and data to back them up.
Before you go for botox treatment, it is important to consult with a snoring and sleep doctor first. They will evaluate your history and symptoms. A sleep study might even be recommended in order to assess your symptoms and to record significant data about your sleep. Using that concrete data, a recommendation can be made.
- Consult with a sleep specialist. It is important that they identify your symptoms and make a diagnosis. Your doctor will use that information to determine the cause of the snoring and the appropriate treatment.
- Determine the cause of snoring. The best way to choose the treatment is to identify the root of the problem. Your doctor will be able to assess the cause.
- Identify the right treatment approach. For mild cases, there are dental appliances that are recommended such as nasal strips or nasal sprays. In a more moderate case, CPAP devices help to open up your air passage and keep your breathing unobstructed. And for severe cases, surgery is required. The specific type of surgical procedure will depend on the cause of snoring.
- Choose the type of device. There are two major categories available: in body and out body devices. The choice will be up to your doctor’s recommendation.
If you want to consider botox as a snoring treatment, make sure you take the above tips into consideration. It pays to heed professional advice when choosing the best way to treat snoring.
