IMPROVED NASAL BREATHING REDUCES SNORING AND MORNING TIREDNESS - A 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Background: Dilation of the nasal valve region can increase the abilit y to breathe through the nose and reduce the negative intrathoracic pr essure required for inspiration. Vibrations of the palate and soft tis sues of the throat, which generate snoring sounds, can be prevented wh en patients inhale less heavily.Objectives: To evaluate the effect a n ostril dilator has on patient snoring and tiredness in the morning and to determine how many patients would continue to use the device for h alf a year. Design: For 6 months, 42 men who were heavy snorers graded their average tiredness in the morning and the patient's sleeping par tner graded the average snoring using a visual analog scale from 0 to 100. Setting: All patients were examined at the Department of Otorhino laryngology, Central Hospital, in Skovde, Sweden. Results: When the no stril dilator was used there was a significant decrease in snoring aft er both 1- and 6-month reports. There was a significant correlation be tween diminution of snoring and less tiredness in patients in the morn ing. The compliance was good since 60% of patients continued to use th e device during the 6-month test period. Conclusions: This study illus trates the benefits that reducing nasal airway resistance during sleep has on snoring and morning tiredness in patients.