Nothing Seems to Stop Chronic But Amusing Snoring Problem

Several months ago, my snoring article, “Only Nose Knows What Six Doctors Don’t,” presented my many attempts to reduce my snoring. Now, there is more to report.

To reiterate:

According to my wife, my snoring is terrible. News to me. Only on rare occasions do I hear myself snore. However, because I sleep on one side or the other, I guess the “down” nostril always stops up. I believe this nose closure causes my snoring. 

So, in the fall of 2005, my wife declared that I must make an effort to eliminate this terrible affliction. So, I visited a doctor for an operation called  a “turbinate reduction,” to reduce the nose bone, septum, and membranes. 

The first operation did not relieve the snoring. Neither did a second. And, my snoring still continued.

I determined that my problem was due to allergies. So, I made an appointment with an allergist, who said, “Of course, it’s your allergies.” For over a year and a half, these shots continued, but no abatement of my reported outrageous snoring.

Next, a doctor introduced me to sleep apnea. Ostensibly, as one sleeps, the tongue slides back into the throat and stifles the air passage. Thus, the sleeper is without oxygen for however long it takes to recover. And, somehow, this equates to snoring.  

Of course, the outcome of these clinics is to supply facial masks and equipment that pump air into the nose, a procedure called CPAP.

On my preliminary visit, I had to sign that if I were 15 minutes late for an appointment, I would forfeit $45. Of my three appointments with this doctor, with no patients before me, he was one and one half hours late, 30 minutes late, and didn’t show up. I had had enough of this doctor.

Next, I found a new ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist in San Jose. He said he thought he could really fix my problem without any major surgery. 

This confused doctor ushered me in, examined me, then sent me to a waiting room. Next, I was directed to a hearing examination room. His partner came in and gave me a hearing test and said I had a hearing loss and needed a hearing aid.

Next, I went to another ENT and, again, he said my problem was “sleep apnea.” That appears to be today’s promotional affliction.  

This time I was able to get a “sleep apnea test” at home, because my insurance would pay for it. My test was more than $2,000.

Of course, they found that I had “sleep apnea” and I needed the CPAP mask and accessories.

Thus, I waited for further information and contact. After several weeks, a nurse from the doctor’s office phoned me. As we talked, she realized that I was emphasizing that my nostrils closed as I slept. And, she said, “I am going to see how we can fix that. I’ll get back to you.”

Six months have gone by. No reply. (Could this be, that nostril membranes closing are not a part of CPAP and the necessary costly contraptions.)

This was my three-year experience as of my previous article, “Only Nose Knows What Six Doctors Don’t.”

My next attempt was Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Rhinoplasty. Surely, these experts could reduce my snoring. 

After several examinations by staff, the day came for my doctor’s appointment. Although this renowned Stanford doctor did say perhaps a CPAP machine or severe, painful nose surgery might help, he recommended an unspecified diet. Just diet. 

Dieting and after losing almost 8 percent of my original body weight, I snore as much as ever.

Yet, fortune smiled. My neighbor read my previous article and said she thought she knew where I could go for relief. She directed me to a chiropractor who treats snoring problems with a so-called neurocranial restructuring program.

Hurray! I had finally found it. I didn’t care how it worked, as long as it worked.

Unfortunately, when I arrived for my initial visit of the four daily appointments, I found that the service was cash, up front, $700. (Guess What? My insurance wouldn’t cover the procedure and yours probably won’t either.)

Nevertheless, for four consecutive days, I met for appointments which entailed chiropractic manipulations on a couch and standing. Then, while lying down on my back, here came the procedure. The chiropractor prepared a device similar to the air pressure bulb on a blood pressure monitor. He placed salve on a balloon and attached the balloon to the blood pressure bulb. Then he inserted the balloon in each nostril, in turn, and inflated it.

Actually, it only feels like your head is being blown off, but only for two or three seconds. Yet, this almost indescribable feeling gets a little less painful, each time.

Fortunately, my snoring was much less each night of this four day procedure. 

Yet, the snoring returned with a vengeance.

Several weeks later, the chiropractor asked me back for a fifth free procedure. The same feeling, that my head was being blown off and one good night’s sleep.

Of course, over many years, I had tried all the snoring remedies, both nasal strips and throat sprays as well as many allergy type nasal sprays and pills.  Occasionally, I sprayed “saline solution” up my nose. (That’s salt water.)

I still snore.

However, now, I am trying an electrolyte filtration machine that sits at the foot of my bed that blows filtrated air some 10 feet along side my bed into my nose.

I think this may work! Yet, most of the time my wife moves to another room. 

Burton Anderson, a U.S. Marine veteran of the Korean War, has lived in California for about 50 years. He has a background in aerospace industry. He can be reached at

ba****@ao*.com











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