Snoring is a problem in many an otherwise serene partnership. There are all kinds of fixes on offer, from specially designed nose “band aids’ to herbal supplements that make claims that they can silence the problem for good, but so far no “gold standard” treatment for snoring has ever been discovered.

That may be changing in the near future though, thanks to the work of a group of scientific researchers who have found that radiofrequency ablation, which is a minimally invasive procedure, seems to be quite effective in quelling the sounds of snoring in the long, as well as the short term.

Radiofrequency ablation is used in treatment of all kinds of conditions – everything from cancer to varicose veins – but in this instance its heat is used to shrink the tissue of the soft palate.

In fact the procedure, used most often in conjunction with a partial uvulectomy, has been in use as a treatment for snoring for a while now. Due to its minimally invasive nature and the fact that the incidence of unpleasant side effects is small, it has in fact become a popular treatment option for those excessively bothered by their snoring (or whose partners are!) But this study was the first designed to measure the long term efficacy of the treatment.

The study focused on 60 participants over the course of a three year period. All participants underwent both a partial uvulectomy and radiofrequency ablation treatments for their snoring problem. In addition, all participants were given a preoperative “snoring score” test so that a baseline could be established.

On average the severity of the patient’s snoring problem was reduced after two radiofrequency  ablation treatments, and at a three year follow up assessment seventy six percent of the study participants reported that they were still happy with the results.

Snoring itself is rarely considered to be a serious medical problem, but it can be an early indicator that a patient may later develop sleep apnea, a more serious condition in which a patient actually stops breathing for a few moments during sleep, which in some cases can prove fatal.

The research results were revealed at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, which is the largest annual gathering of ear nose and throat specialists in the world.