Snore no more
SNORING is the noise made during sleep, when the sleeper forces air past any obstructions in the upper respiratory tract, causing the soft tissue there to vibrate. Statistics show that 45% of adults snore occasionally, while 25% are habitual snorers.
According to a study by the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association, partners of snorers are kept awake for two hours each night, losing some two years of sleep over the average course of a marriage.
Snoring is a sign that there is disruption in breathing. It can lead to sleep apnoea, a disorder that causes people to stop breathing for 10 to 30 seconds at a time while they are sleeping. Quite often, it is the partner who recognises the symptoms.
Yap Ming Tian was well aware that he was a snorer, but last year, it worsened. During a visit to see his daughter six months ago, Yap experienced the same restless sleep. His daughter, a doctor, recognised it as apnoea.
Apnoea is potentially life threatening as it raises blood pressure, reducing oxygen flow to the brain. At worst, it could lead to stroke, heart attack and even death.
Sufferers have been known to experience impaired mental abilities, emotions and work performance, weight gain, impotence and headaches.
There are many ways to treat the condition, such as by using herbal tonics and sprays, drugs or mandibular advancement devices. Conventional methods use nasal continuous positive airflow pressure devices. Some doctors may even recommend surgery.
Yap’s daughter saw a mandibular device called the Somnoguard, which she felt suited her father’s needs. The Somnoguard is made from flexible material and resembles dentures. Fitting of the Somnoguard involves boiling the mouldable thermoplastic, cooling it and inserting it into the mouth for the correct fit and bite.
Developed in Germany by medical enterprise Tomed Dr Toussaint GmbH in cooperation with University Medical Centre Mannheim, the device serves to shift the lower jaw forward during sleep. This allows the respiratory tract to open up further.
The expansion of the lower jaw up to 10mm with 0.5mm accuracy is made with the adjustment of a screw on the device.
Clinical examinations in the Mannheim sleep laboratory have shown that snoring in 80% of patients either disappeared completely or almost completely with the use of this oral device. The rate of dangerous nocturnal breathing arrests was reduced by up to 60%.
When Yap first tried the device, he slept soundly for the first time in years. He has since decided to be a distributor of the device to help fellow sufferers in Malaysia.
Approved by European health authorities and the United States Food and Drug Administration ( USFDA), the device is convenient and can be stored easily when travelling.
For more information, call 03- 7954 3622 or visit www. getupfresh. com.