Hadi Al-Jassim

London, Oct. 30: Here’s a shot that can save many marriages.

A two-minute procedure that involves injecting chemicals into the roof of a patient’s mouth under local anaesthetic is emerging as a simple cure for snoring.

Consultants in Merseyside in the north of England are trying out the technique, known as “snoreplasty” that was first developed in America. It stops the soft tissue at the back of the mouth from vibrating, which is the cause of snoring.

Hadi Al-Jassim, the consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon who had treated 400 patients in his clinic at Ormskirk hospital, said: “Patients can go home straight away after the injection and eat about an hour later.”

Patients’ partners have been the most appreciative, he joked.

The consultant added: “Snoring can cause big problems for patients, particularly with their partners who complain they cannot sleep. Until now, there has been no effective treatment other than surgery.”

The injection, which costs £3 or (about Rs 234), is proving an effective alternative to painful and expensive surgery.

“There are some over-the-counter products but a lot of people find them useless,” Al-Jassam told local journalists.

He said: “The surgical procedure is very painful and it takes weeks to recover, so many people decide not to go through with it – they cannot take the time off work or their health is too fragile to have surgery. In other cases, the surgery does not work.”

He also pointed out: “The injection is cheap for the NHS (National Health Service) to use and it is proving very effective.”

Al-Jassim did not make exaggerated claims for the breakthrough treatment, however.

“It does not work for everybody,” he conceded, “but it has made life easier for many of my patients and it is so simple.”

It will not help 10-20 per cent of patients, the consultant conceded.

The jab can be given up to three times a year, but some people find one dose is enough to stop snoring for a full 12 months.

In an initial trial of 60 patients given a single injection, 40 showed significant improvement. For many, the snoring disappeared completely.

As air is breathed in, the pressure causes the uvula, the tissue at the back of the mouth (part of the soft palate), to vibrate. Being overweight or obese makes the problem worse, as the extra fat around the neck means the airway is compressed more than normal.

Doctors say that over a prolonged period, snoring can lead to health problems. Regularly taking in less oxygen increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and heart conditions.

Doctors can use a laser or scalpel to trim the uvula so it does not vibrate, but recovery is extremely painful and can take weeks. It makes eating and drinking difficult for some time afterwards. The operation costs around £2,000 (Rs 156,000) privately and does not always work.