While snoring may be considered to be an annoying social problem, we now know that snoring may be a warning sign for a serious health conditions.
Around 50% of people may snore from time to time, while up to 20% also have airway collapse or shortness of breath during the night, called sleep apnoea. The development of snoring towards sleep apnoea is a gradual process and most people are not aware of it since the breathing stops during sleep. These conditions may cause daytime sleepiness, psychiatric problems, impotence, traffic accidents and are recognised as important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks.
Professor Armin Bidarian Moniri and his colleagues at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden spent eight years studying patients with sleep apnoea to develop a new treatment. They found the backward falling of the tongue during sleep to be the main cause for the development of sleep apnoea. This tendency is significantly increased when lying on the back. Curiously humans appear to be one of the few mammals who prefer sleeping on their back and one of the few vertebrate with sleep apnoea.
During his PhD-thesis, Moniri developed and tested a new mattress and pillow, restme®, permitting comfortable side or stomach positioning during sleep. The results from the studies showed that all individuals sleeping on restme® experienced improvement in their condition. São Gonçalo Hospital in Lagos in collaboration with the Universities of Algarve and Gothenburg, will carry out further study on restme®.
During his work in the Algarve region. Professor Moniri united a multidisciplinary team consisting of nine physicians with different specialities at the São Gonçalo Hospital. These professionals aim to find the correct diagnosis and provide all possible treatment options for patients suffering from snoring and sleep apnoea.
Find about more about treating snoring and sleep apnoea by contacting the team at the São Gonçalo Hospital in Lagos.

For further information Tel: 800 224 424 or visit: www.hsglagos.pt