Chin Straps as a Snoring Treatment

Need something a little stronger than an over-the-counter medicine but don't have the money for an expensive laser snoring treatment? There are several intermediate options available. In this article, we will look at the uses of chin straps as a snoring treatment.

About the Snoring Treatment Chin Strap

The snoring treatment chin strap was invented in 2001 in the United Kingdom and approved by the FDA in 2004. Since then, over 4 million chin straps have been sold. They consist of a soft pad which goes under the chin, and which is held there by an elastic band type strap that goes around the head. The chin strap works by holding the mouth shut to ensure that the user breathes through his or her nose. They are typically used by older people, since the jaw muscles slacken as we get older, causing the mouth to fall open when we sleep.

Controversies Concerning the Snoring Treatment Chin Strap

There have been complaints that the snoring treatment chin strap is not as durable as it should be. Online product reviews report the straps breaking after only a few months. Given the fact that the straps are non-returnable due to hygiene issues, with the manufacturers being unwilling to replace a used strap, some users believe that they are not worth the money they paid for them. However, it should be noted that other reviewers expressed complete satisfaction with the chin straps, some saying that it had worked where all other treatments had failed. Newer brands of snoring treatment chin strap replace the elastic band with two fabric straps held together with Velcro, which eliminates this problem altogether, whilst ensuring that one size of strap fits any size of head, the same way that the elastic band does.

Medical Research on Snoring Treatment Chin Straps

Clinical trials were carried out on the snoring treatment chin strap at Helsinki University Central Hospital in Finland in 2003. Fifteen patients were tested for two consecutive nights, one with a chin strap and one without, and their REM, blood oxygen levels and airflow, both nasal and oral, were measured. In addition, the heads of six patients, selected at random, were measured using 3D imaging devices. The study concluded that the chin straps could perform a valuable function in increasing nasal airflow and reducing mouth dryness in some patients, though in a few rare cases, it actually made the snoring worse and could even increase sleep apnea. The researchers advised users to take these possible side effects into consideration before using the snoring treatment chin strap on a regular basis.