A new gadget that has popped up on independent funding site Indiegogo seems like a good idea: noise canceling for snoring. That way, a partner of a snorer doesn’t have to listen to the snoring.
But this is actually one of the worst ways to approach snoring because it ignores the fact that snoring is dangerous.
How the New Device Is Supposed to Work
People love their gadgets, and these days nothing is more darling to the early adopters than wearable tech. That’s what the new device, called Silent Partner, sells itself as. This wearable device sits on the face and is adhered to it with a mild adhesive. When the device detects snoring, it emits an active cancelling sound, which blocks out the sound of snoring. The claim is that it can create a zone of silence around the snorer, cancelling out any and all sounds being emitted by the snorer.
Eliminating the Noise Is not a Snoring Treatment
When people think about snoring, they focus on the noise. After all, that’s what snoring is to most people: a noise. From that standpoint, Silent Partner is a great product–if it works. Getting rid of the noise of snoring can help others in the room or the house to get quality sleep.
But the noise is just a symptom of the much bigger problem of snoring. The sound is caused by a narrowed airway, which creates turbulent airflow that vibrates the tissues of the nose and throat. What is important about this is that restricted airflow results in reduced oxygen levels in the snorer. This reduces sleep efficiency and can have serious consequences.
Snoring itself has been linked to atherosclerosis, hardened arteries. The vibrations of snoring can cause tiny injuries to blood vessels, especially the carotid arteries in the throat. As these injuries heal, they turn into hard scar tissue. This encourages the formation of plaque in these arteries, which can then be dislodged, causing stroke.
And sometimes snoring is your only real warning that a person has sleep apnea, which is itself associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many other health conditions.
Eliminating the sound of snoring without actually treating it means that a person will continue to be at risk. But if you’re looking for snoring treatment in Philadelphia that actually eliminates sound and protects your health, please call (610) 272-0828 for an appointment with a sleep dentist at Dental Excellence of Blue Bell.
