Short-term snoring solutions

Hi Doctors Baraki and Feigenbaum,

I’m trying to help a family member with a chronic snoring problem. His take-home sleep apnea test came back negative, despite some ‘Yes’ answers on the Stop BANG questionnaire.

In the long term, he knows that fat loss is the most reliable way to reduce his snoring. However, that takes some time and there are ups-and-downs with most weight loss journeys.

Is there anything he can do tonight, or within a week or two, to at least improve his snoring situation?

Thank you,

1 Like

Hard to say without knowing more about him; sometimes snoring can be exacerbated by alcohol use, seasonal allergies/allergic rhinitis, acid reflux, a deviated nasal septum or other anatomic/structural abnormalities, or sleeping position (typically on the back instead of on the side). Any/all of these can be things to try working on to see if there’s improvement.

1 Like

Thanks for the ideas, Dr. Baraki. He does have a somewhat enlarged uvula. It’s just his anatomy overall, it’s not acutely swollen from allergies or infection. However, his dentist said it doesn’t warrant surgery in his case.

Can confirm that sleeping on his side is better than on his back!