We all know somebody who snores, whether it is your partner, your parents, your grandparents or, even though you won't admit it, it could be you that snores. People that snore are a butt of many jokes, but it could be a symptom of a much more serious disorder called obstructive sleep apnoea. If you do suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea, then it is definitely not a laughing matter; and it needs to be evaluated by a sleep specialist. If you realise that “apnoea" means the absence of breathing I think you can understand the severity of the problem.

Apart from being a very annoying noise, especially if it is coming from a sleeping partner, is snoring? Well it is the sound produced when an individual breathes in, normally, during sleep. This inhalation causes a vibration of the soft palate and uvula at the back of the throat. Snoring is usually associated with men and in people that are overweight and it usually gets worse with advancing age.

A very important point to make at this stage is that the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, or Snoring Syndrome, is that any truly effective solution requires seeking professional medical advice and entails that several problems be treated at the same time.

There are many cases of snoring can be reduced simply by making a moderate change in your lifestyle. A reduction of weight, reducing the intake of alcohol and cutting down on cigarettes can all reduce incidences of snoring.

The risk of suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea increases with the three factors described above; all of which are major problems within today’s society. The successful correction of OSA usually requires that they are all eliminated from your lifestyle. In some cases eliminating these factors will completely resolve the problem. If they do not eliminate it completely they will go a long way towards a cure.