You are a snorer and this is not only giving you disturbed sleep night at night, it is also causing a gradual rift between you and your spouse. You would like to treat this condition once and for all as it is gradually becoming the biggest bone of contention in your relationship, affecting domestic peace and happiness.
You are aware that snoring could be due to some kind of nasal obstruction, but did you know that a deviated septum could also be the cause of your snoring?
Snoring is the result of a partial obstruction in the upper part of the airway, either in the nasal passage or the throat. In case the air passage gets completely blocked, it may result in a more serious condition called sleep apnea. While snoring may be due to a variety of reasons, deviated septum snoring is one of the most commonly encountered conditions.
Let us consider some of the ‘ideal’ conditions: the septum or the thin layer of bone and cartilage should ideally be in the center of the nose, dividing the nostrils into two equal halves.
However this is not the case in nearly 80% of the population, as the septum is slightly inclined on one side, making the nostrils unequal in terms of dimension and also proving to be obstructive in the normal airflow during breathing. The other ‘ideal’ condition is within the nose, where the air passage should be completely free of any obstruction, allowing free flow of air when breathing in and out.
However the ‘ideal’ conditions are hardly met. The septum may be deviated and the nasal passage may be blocked due to congestion in the nasal cavity. All these imperfect situations can result in deviated septum snoring.
What causes deviated septum snoring?
One of the common causes of snoring is partial blockage in the nasal passage. Deviated septum provides the ideal environment for the nasal passage to be blocked inconveniently, as the central septum is shifted to one side. This shifting of the septum could be a birth defect or even be the result of a nose trauma, suffered during an accident, etc. It is now easy to understand why a deviated septum can cause serious breathing difficulty, including snoring.
Can deviated septum snoring be treated?
Snoring when it is mild can be treated by various methods and the same applies to a mild deviation of the septum, which may not cause any problem at all. However, when the deviation is serious, it may also result in snoring becoming a persistent problem getting more serious with time. In such cases your doctor may advise you to rectify the deviated septum by surgical procedures. One of the most popular types of surgery for correcting a deviated septum is called septoplasty. However, you need to check with your doctor to confirm whether surgical intervention is at all necessary to cure the condition of deviated septum snoring. After careful examination of the inside of your nose, your doctor may also refer you to an otorhinolaryngologist, a doctor specializing in disorders of the ear, nose and throat. However, with proper treatment from the right kind of doctor, deviated septum snoring can be cured.
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