New snoring treatment helps some achieve more peaceful night's rest

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KABC) -- It is estimated is that approximately 90 million Americans snore on a daily basis.

The heavy breathing during sleep can also get worse with age or if the person is overweight.

People who are diagnosed with a chronic condition called sleep apnea may get help from a device called a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP.

But there's an estimated 50 million people who don't have sleep apnea. For them, there's EPAP, which is a new way to stop the snore.

Until three years ago, 61-year old Janet Hayes had no idea her night-time breathing was so noisy.

"A buzz saw, it was surprisingly loud," Hayes said.

Hayes is a widow and sleeps alone. But after sharing a hotel room with her daughter on vacation, she realized she had an issue and needed to find something to stop the snoring.

"I tried a mouthpiece, it made me gag," she said. "I tried CPAP and it leaked."

But Hayes doesn't have sleep apnea. So, she searched online looking for other snoring solutions and found Theravent.

It's a disposable adhesive strip that covers the nose and has a one-way valve system.

Dr. Ryan Soose is an ear, nose and throat doctor as well as a sleep medicine specialist who is familiar with the strip.

"It allows the patient to breathe in freely, but when they breathe out, the valves closes, generating extra air pressure back in the breathing passages," Soose said.

EPAP stands for expiratory positive airway pressure. The air pressure stabilizes the throat and reduces the vibration or flutter that causes snoring.

"There's really minimal to no risk in putting a little adhesive strip on your nose," Soose said.

Hayes knew she had found the answer. On a recent European trip, she took a cruise and shared the room with a friend.

"She told me through the whole cruise I wasn't snoring," Hayes said.

Theravent strips come in different strengths and are available over the counter.

Undiagnosed sleep apnea can lead to dangerous conditions, so it's important to see a doctor and first rule that out before tackling any snoring solution.