Snoring and obstructive Sleep Apnoea

In Germany millions of men and women have difficulty with snoring and therefore also share in your sufferung. Snoring is not only annoying and puts many partnerships to the hard test, it can also become very dangerous when breathing arrests are present during sleep.

Depending on the frequency and duration of these disturbances, the oxygen supply to the organism is decreased. People affected by SAS complain of tiredness throughout the day, poor concentration, poor performance, personality changes, irritability, only to mention a few of the symptoms. Complications also include elevated blood pressure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, stroke, depression and a shortened life expectancy.

From epidemiology we know that every fifth adult in Germany snores. However in people who are between the ages of 40 and 60 the rate of snorers increses to 60%. Obstructive sleep apnea with the above features occurs in about 2 to 4% of the whole German population, i.e. around 2 to 3 million people are suffering from this disease. Due to unsufficient screening programs only about 5% of snorers are aware that they suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

The most important risk factor to acquire SAS is obesity.
Our BMI-Calculator may help you to control your body weight.

How can affected people cope with this problem?

Sleep Apnoea Syndrome is a serious medical condition that requires management under the guidance of a specialist. The diagnosis is made after a consultation is completed, wherein a clinical examination will be made and medical history will be taken. If necessary the consultant will request a sleep study to provide diagnostic information about the extent of the respiratory and sleep disturbances. The sleep study may be overnight in a sleep laboratory, or at home using an ambulatory screening device. To see if you may suffer from SAS we have provided a self-check on this website. 

For ambulatory diagnostic purposes Tomed offers the SleepDoc MiniPorti to medical professionals and medical companies. For further information please refer to the SleepDoc MiniPorti description and exemplary diagnostic reports regarding an SAS patient with an omegaepiglottis causing the upper airway obstruction with ; Report 1 at baseline, Report 2 referring to therapy with SomnoGuard AP and the SomnoCushion, and Report 3 referring to therapy with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). Since mandibular advancement devices are basically effective with the obstruction located at the tongue base area, nCPAP is considered the therapy of choice for this patient.

The available therapeutic options will then depend on the patient’s personal needs and the underlying medical problem. With regard to non-surgical therapeutic options, the use of nCPAP or the nocturnal use of oral devices which advance the lower jaw should be considered.

Tomed manufactures and markets the most appropriate types of mandibular advancement devices for your needs which are presented on this website. To make a selection from our range, please consult our SomnoGuard comparison table (click).

Very often positional therapy of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea -even in conjunction with nCPAP or BiPAP application- may be quite useful. In some cases dilatation of the nostrils may be sufficient to solve the individual's snoring problem.