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Michigan Surgical
Associates, P.C.
Specializing in General and
Laparoscopic Surgery
• Breast and Colon Cancer Screening
•Conveniently Located
•Variety of Office Hours
WEST BLOOMFIELD
In The Beaumont Building
6900 Orchard Lake Road
Suite 211
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
(248) 539-3027
Fax: (248) 539-9267
TROY
At Beaumont Hospital
44199 Dequindre Road
Suite 615
Troy, MI 48098
(248) 879-3208
Fax: (248) 828-8482
CLINTON TOWNSHIP
39200 Garfield Road
Suite C
Clinton Twp., MI 48038
(810) 228-9191
Fax: (810) 228-3990
ST. (LAIR SHORES
5/15
1998
140
21000 Twelve Mile Road
Suite 112
St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
(810) 771-8900
Fax: (810) 771-8901
Standing left to right Michael G. Taylor, M.D., F.A.C.S., Akash R. Sheth, M.D.
Seated left to right William L. Kestenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S.,
Joseph V. Rim, M.D., F.A.C.S., Eric A. Brown, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Affiliated With Many Local Hospitals:
• Huron Valley-Sinai • Sinai • Troy Beaumont
• St. John Hospital And Medical Center
• St. John Macomb • Bon Secours
• Providence • Macomb Hospital Center
• St. John Oakland Hospital
Most Major Insurance Plans Accepted:
• Medicaid/Medicare
• Blue Cross/Blue Shield
• Blue Care Network • Omnicare
• HAP • Selectcare • M Care • PPOM
• Wellness Plan • Aetna • Blue Cross PPO
• Smart Care • First Care • Cigna • PHCS
• Plus Many Others. Call For Details.
Night Noise from page 138
the tongue falls backward into the
airway or the throat muscles draw in
from the sides into the airway. It can
also be a side effect from medications.
"Children with large tonsils and
adenoids often snore, as do over-
weight people with bulky neck tis-
sue," says Dr. Rontal. "Patients with a
long palate that narrows the opening
from the nose into the throat also are
likely to have a snoring problem
because as the palate dangles, it acts
as a noisy flutter valve during relaxed
breathing. A long uvula makes snor-
ing even worse.
"And there's always the time some-
one has a cold and stuffy nose and it's
harder to breath. The extra effort to
pull air through a blocked nose cre-
ates an exaggerated vacuum in the
throat and pulls together the floppy
tissues of the throat which results in
snoring. That's why you're more likely
to hear snoring during allergy and flu
seasons."
According to Suzanne Mazur,
when husband Michael starts snoring
everyone in the house knows. "When
Michael snores it means he's exhaust-
ed," explains Suzanne. "Sometimes
it's not too bad if I can get him to
shift from his back to his side.
"Some nights nothing works. I
bought these earplugs for me and
they do block out his snoring. The
trouble is I can't hear the phone or
the kids either. It's something we keep
trying to manage."
Snoring is serious when it causes
others to lose sleep. It also can be
medically serious when it disturbs
sleeping patterns and deprives some-
one of rest.
Dr. Rontal says treatment for
heavy snoring depends on the diagno-
sis. "I examine a patient to see if the
snoring is caused by nasal allergy, an
infection, deformity, or problem with
tonsils or adenoids."
When it is very severe, snoring can
cause serious health problems and
may indicate a problem such as
obstructive sleep apnea. It is estimat-
ed that about 28 million people suffer
from the more serious but related
sleep apnea, which is often linked to
memory loss, high blood pressure,
heart attacks and strokes.
Sleep apnea takes place when loud
snoring is interrupted by frequent
episodes of totally obstructed breath-
ing. Serious episodes last more than
10 seconds each and may occur more
than seven times in an hour.
Apnea patients may experience 30
to 300 such episodes per night, which
reduces blood oxygen levels and caus-
es the heart to pump harder.
For some patients, it's possible to
provide continuous positive airway
pressure therapy from a fan pump
delivered by a nasal mask worn every
night. This pump literally blows open
the pharynx to allow unobstructed
breathing.
Jerry Starler of Oak Park has seri-
ous snoring problems. "My wife
would tell me not only did my snor-
ing keep her awake but I would stop
breathing four or five times during
the night and gasp for air.
"I've lost 25-30 pounds since I
started treatment and that's helped a
lot. I also wear one of those masks in
which the air is pushed through by a
machine. The gizmo is wonderful
and, although it doesn't cure my snor-
ing, I don't snore very much at night
anymore. I must admit, though,
being attached to a machine isn't
wonderful for love-making."
Other people find the mandibular
advancement device helps stop snor-
ing by moving the jaw forward and
enlarging the airspace. It is a simple
oral appliance constructed from two
custom-made gum shields.
Sometimes snoring may respond to
surgery such as uvulopalotopharyn-
goplasty (UPPP), removal and reshap-
ing of the soft palate and pharynx
that tightens flabby tissues and
Self-Help For
Snoring
Adults who occasionally snore
may want to try the following
remedies;
• Adopt a healthy lifestyle by
exercising and eating healthfully
so that you remain active and
aren't overweight.
• Avoid sleeping pills, tranquiliz-
ers, antihistamines and alcohol
before bedtime.
• Avoid heavy meals or snacking
just before bed.
• Sleep on your side rather than
your back
• Keep your head elevated about
four inches on one or more pil-
lows.
• Avoid getting overtired and
establish regular sleeping patterns.
• Add some humidity to the bed-
room. A dry throat tends to
vibrate more.