Current Management of Primary Snoring

by Jennifer L.W. Fink •

“Based on data, most snoring interventions are going to be temporary,” Dr. Kezirian said. “I never tell a patient they’re going to be cured forever.”

Jennifer LW Fink is a freelance medical writer based in Wisconsin.

Key Points

  • Nasal steroid sprays, oral anti-inflammatory medication, and antihistamines are often used as first-line treatments.
  • If the tongue appears to contribute to snoring, an oral appliance can bring the mandible forward during sleep.
  • The most common interventions are those that target the soft palate, including injection snoreplasty, radiofrequency ablation, and surgical implants.

New Snoring Treatment on the Horizon?

Palatal suspension using a stitch in the soft palate may be the next wave of snoring treatment. A single-arm pilot study published in The Laryngoscope examined the use of a barbed suture to suspend the palate in 20 adult patients (13 male, seven female). The procedure significantly reduced snoring symptom scores. Seven patients reported complications, but there were no serious adverse effects (Laryngoscope. 2016;126:243–248).

“In the past, we’ve been fairly effective at stiffening tissue. In the future, I think the concept is going to be that we need to lift and suspend collapsible tissue,” said Dr. Gillespie, one of the study authors. “This is a concept several different entities are working on, but they’re all in the developmental stage.”

Right now, palatal suspension is “very unproven,” Dr. Rotenberg said. “There’s currently no strong evidence to support it. The biggest concern is that it’s a permanent stitch, and stitches have a way of extruding if you leave them in too long.”