Snoring occurs when air moving through the nose and throat during sleep passes through a narrowed area which cause the structures to vibrate and rattle causing the familiar sound of snoring.

	Normal Breathing		Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea occurs when the structures completely block the throat during sleep and air cannot pass into the lungs at all. This causes the person to momentarily awaken and gasp, which unblocks the passageway. This process may be repeated over and over at night making the sleep fragmented and light.

Problems that make it hard to breathe through the nose such as a deviated nasal septum or nasal polyps may worsen snoring or sleep apnea.

After a thorough history and physical examination an overnight sleep study may be recommended to determine if sleep apnea is present.

	If enlarged tissues in the throat are found to be the cause of the snoring, a procedure to remove ro reduce the size of the uvula, soft palate, and tonsils called a uvulopalatoplasty may be recommended. The procedure is 90% effective in reducing snoring and is done on an outpatient basis
	Before UPPP Procedure		After UPPP Procedure

For snoring that occurs without sleep apnea a more limited procedure called a LAUP may be recommend which can be performed in the office under local anesthesia.