Snoring is more than just loud noise, it is a warning sign of a bigger problem that has serious consequences. Pain is more than just something to get rid of; it is a warning sign of something more serious. Pain may be from a cut that may become infected, it may be from a tooth that has an abscess, it may be from your bite that is out of balance from the left side to the right side. But pain always indicates that there is something wrong that needs your attention. And the attention you need it is not to cover up the pain, but to find the cause of the pain and get rid of that cause.

Snoring is the same. It’s a warning sign of a serious, life-threatening problem. Many people who snore just go on the Internet to find a quick, cheap way to stop the snoring, instead of finding someone who can help them find out what is actually wrong — what is causing the snoring — so they can fix the cause!

Snoring in children is very serious! It usually is a warning sign that the airway is collapsing during sleep in the child. This may be from adenoids that are too large or it may be from tonsils that are too large. But it is imperative that the parent find out why the child snores and correct it, because — among other serious side effects — it can lead to a decrease in the amount of human growth hormone (HGH) that the developing child gets. This is a very serious situation. If someone just says that the child will grow out of it later in life, they just do not know that this loss of HGH in childhood is not recoverable, the effects are lifelong.

Likewise, snoring in adults is serious! It has been shown to lead to cancer, strokes, and heart disease. It has also been linked to diabetes, ED, and even death. Some people think they just have a big tongue, especially if there are scallop marks on the sides of the tongue. One can look in the mirror and see if their tongue has those marks. The tongue just seems to be too big to fit between the teeth and rests on top of the lower teeth. But many health professionals never suspect that the jaw may be too small for the tongue — which is usually the case. And if the jaw if too small, the treatment will be different depending on the age of the person. Children, adolescents, and adults have to be treated differently.

So snoring is a serious medical condition that requires that you find a health professional trained specifically in this area it you are going to have it successfully treated. Only then can you avoid the serious health consequences mentioned above. Who wants to end up with a stroke that causes you to be unable to walk or talk for the rest of your life? Especially when it can be easily and successfully prevented with proper treatment.

Many people will go to the internet to find that quick, inexpensive way to stop the snoring and they think the problem is solved if there is no more nighttime noise. They use devices like ZQuiet, GMSS, SnoreRx, VitalSleep, Snore Ex, Snore Eliminator, ProSnore, Zyppah (happy z spelled backwards), Snore Guard, etc. A new one comes out every month; there are even ads for pillows and beds that will solve the problem. But do they solve the problem? Have they stopped the cause of the problem? Are you willing to risk it? That’s the real question! It’s kind of like removing a nail from a flat tire and thinking that the nail is the problem, when the real problem is the hole in the tire!

The first step a wise person should take is to have a trained health professional find the cause of the problem and then let them help you to eliminate that cause. Sleeping in separate rooms or wearing ear plugs or getting a divorce is like removing the nail: the problem is not solved since the cause has not been eliminated. Serious health consequences still exist.

Dr. Donald Johnson founded Northwest Treatment Center for Snoring & Sleep Apnea in Coeur d’Alene to help patients stop their snoring and live free with no limits! His office is at 114 W. Neider Ave. in Coeur d’Alene, near Costco. The website for more information is www.NWSleepDoc.com and the office phone is (208) 667-4551. Schedule an appointment today!