Deviated Septum - Sleep Disorders Message Board

Tiger321 · 01-16-2008, 08:44 AM

I don't know if that is spelled correctly. But I am 71 and have started to snore terribly. I had to have a head MRI for a different reason and I was diagnosed as having a deviated septum. I know that can be the cause of the snoring. Is there anything that can be done or should I just not do anything. If there is a medical "cure" I will make an appointment with a ENT doctor.

mkgbrook · 01-16-2008, 08:59 AM

My husband has a deviated septum as well. It is ENT in domain.. however the side effects can affect your sleep. Snoring can be caused by three main things.. throat (enlarged tonsils and adenoids), nasal (deviated septum), and elongated pallet/enlarged tongue back sleeping.

Does your snoring appear to be positional? How is your sleep hygiene? Look at the sleep hygiene post stickied above. It is what the MDs recommend you should do as far as sleeping habits go.

What can you do? Well if your sleep is restful in spite of the snoring.. sleeping on your side, ear plugs, breathe right strips, menthol, ponaris nasal oil, and pretz ph balanced nasal spray are about all you can do non-surgically to correct this... deviated septum surgery is not pleasant. I will not get into the details, but ask your ENT how they do it when you see him. There are some minimally invasive endoscopic procedures that may help you as well.. but once again the ENT will need to evaluate you on this. If your sleep is not restful and you wake more than once a night... you might want to consult a sleep specialist before the ENT. Or better yet.. and ABSM (American Board of Sleep Medicine) ENT.

Good luck. My husband has hypopnea based sleep apnea. His tongue falls back and stops his breathing when he is on his back and sides. He also has a lowered O2 saturation in his sleep. He now sleeps on a CPAP. With proper pressure if your snoring is the result of sleep apnea.. well a CPAP will correct it as well. My tonsillectomy cured my snoring.. but not my sleep apnea.. so I am still on my CPAP as well. My son 5 got his CPAP last year as well. They are quite wonderful devices if you have any form of apnea.

MG

Tiger321 · 01-16-2008, 09:17 AM

Thank you for that informative information. I sleep wonderfully well. My poor husband does not. I seem to be snoring on my side as well as my back. I do not have tonsils, so that is out. All the nasal sprays and strips do not seem to work. What is a CPAP? Do you have to wear a mask? I am claustrophobic so I would probably not sleep.

mkgbrook · 01-16-2008, 10:00 AM

Ear plugs for the hubby.

Yes, a CPAP requires a mask.. nasal or full depending on whether or not you are a mouth breather. CPAP = constant positive air pressure device. With you getting restful sleep I think you should see and ENT and ask them about theit endoscopic procedure for treating snoring.

MG