Snoring: What to Do When a Punch in the Shoulder Fails
By WALECIA KONRAD
NYT
DR. ELIZABETH WALTON, a 43-year-old internist in Atlanta and the mother of twin 4-year-old boys, has a common, if sometimes embarrassing, health problem. She snores — loudly. And she has tried to fix it with a variety of things, including a machine that blows air down her throat and an oral appliance that looks something like a mouthguard worn by a hockey player.
The appliance works, and Dr. Walton is finally sleeping more easily. (So is her partner.) And because she was told she had obstructive sleep apnea, a more serious disorder than simple snoring, her treatments have been mostly covered by insurance.
Still, she estimates she has spent hundreds of dollars in deductibles, co-payments and fees.
Dr. Walton would have preferred not to go through so much expensive trial and error: “Unfortunately, it’s the nature of this condition.”
Almost half of the adult population snores at least occasionally. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing them to vibrate. Nasal congestion can also contribute to the racket.
(More here.)
NYT
DR. ELIZABETH WALTON, a 43-year-old internist in Atlanta and the mother of twin 4-year-old boys, has a common, if sometimes embarrassing, health problem. She snores — loudly. And she has tried to fix it with a variety of things, including a machine that blows air down her throat and an oral appliance that looks something like a mouthguard worn by a hockey player.
The appliance works, and Dr. Walton is finally sleeping more easily. (So is her partner.) And because she was told she had obstructive sleep apnea, a more serious disorder than simple snoring, her treatments have been mostly covered by insurance.
Still, she estimates she has spent hundreds of dollars in deductibles, co-payments and fees.
Dr. Walton would have preferred not to go through so much expensive trial and error: “Unfortunately, it’s the nature of this condition.”
Almost half of the adult population snores at least occasionally. Snoring occurs when air flows past relaxed tissues in the throat, causing them to vibrate. Nasal congestion can also contribute to the racket.
(More here.)
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