Can Rhinoplasty Save Your Marriage?

Will having nose surgery make a difference in my snoring?

Funny stories about snoring may be quite common, but, in reality, snoring is no joking matter. There are serious health consequences that can result from habitual snoring, including daytime drowsiness and fatigue, as well as life-threatening risks from heart attack and stroke. And, yes, relationships and marriages have been pushed to the brink and even beyond because of excessively loud snoring. Whether from allergies, obesity, structural issues such as a deviated septum or another cause, snoring is not a condition to ignore.There are a lot of reasons that marriages fail but one of the most common is diminished intimacy. While this does include sex, it is actually more about communication and interaction; the kind that naturally takes place at night, before sleep. This is when couples share the details of their day and talk about issues before they have the chance to become major problems. These relaxing moments of intimacy tend to strengthen the relationship. Unfortunately, all too often, persistent snoring can lead to couples sleeping in separate rooms. Without putting in a lot of effort to balance the loss of this opportunity for interacting, communication can break down, creating increasing feelings of distance and isolation. It is believed that this particular spiral is responsible for a significant number of divorces.

What Are the Causes of Snoring?

In order to reduce or prevent snoring, it is important to understand what causes it in the first place. Some of the more common causes are:

• A thick soft palate can narrow airways
• Elongated uvula (dangling triangular tissue at back of throat) can obstruct airflow and create vibration
• Being overweight
• Poor muscle tone in the throat
• Thick neck or one with excess tissue
• Enlarged tonsils and adenoids
• Large tongue
• Blocked nasal passage
• Structural issues of the nose, such as a deviated septum or nasal polyps
• Alcohol consumption, especially at night

In some cases, snoring can be alleviated with lifestyle changes or other simple remedies. Common sense would dictate that if you are overweight, losing weight would be a good first step, as would not drinking anything alcoholic within two to three hours of going to bed. Sedatives act much the same as alcohol in that they cause the throat muscles to relax which can lead to snoring. Some of the other more basic suggestions include:

• Try sleeping on your side or stomach
• Raise the head of the bed slightly, maybe four inches, which may help with breathing
• Over-the-counter remedies like nasal strips, designed to keep the airways open, may help
• Nasal saline solutions can help clear congested nasal passages

If the issue is structural in nature, a deviated septum, for example, surgery may be recommended. A deviated septum can be present from birth or as the result of an injury. In either case, the nasal septum, the bone and cartilage which separates the two nostrils, is out of position and creating an obstruction. Besides snoring, this can cause sleep apnea, sinus infections, headaches and nosebleeds due to dryness.The rhinoplasty procedure used to straighten and reposition the nasal septum is septoplasty. By trimming, repositioning and replacing cartilage, bone or both, the nasal passages are cleared and more closely divided into equal parts. Once healing has taken place, any symptoms caused by the deviated septum, including snoring, are often completely resolved. There are, of course, no guarantees, so it is important to choose and consult with an experienced rhinoplasty surgeon about your particular condition.If you have ever been diagnosed with a deviated septum or struggle with snoring caused by breathing issues, you could not make a better decision than consulting with Dr. Geoffrey Tobias, New York City’s only plastic surgeon exclusively practicing rhinoplasty. His experience, compassion and dedication have combined to have him recognized 12 times as “best in his field” by New York Magazine.  To request a consultation, simply click here.