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Ear protection as a treatment for disruptive snoring: do ear plugs really work?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2006

S Robertson ,
S Loughran  and
K MacKenzie
S Robertson
Affiliation:
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland
S Loughran
Affiliation:
Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
K MacKenzie
Affiliation:
Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland
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Abstract

Background: In the absence of surgical treatments with demonstrable long-term efficacy, conservative treatments for snoring remain appropriate. Only limited evidence evaluating the use of ear protection by partners has been published.

Methods: Eligible couples were invited to participate in a two-month trial, with each partner using custom-moulded ear plugs. Five questionnaires were completed by patients and their partners, at baseline and after two months: the snoring outcomes survey (SOS) or the spouse/bed partners survey (SBPS), the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the general health questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), the Nottingham health profile (NHP) and the Golombok–Rust inventory of marital status (GRIMS).

Results: After two months, there was a significant improvement in the SOS score for patients (p = 0.005), the SBPS score for partners (p = 0.001) and the ESS for partners (p = 0.004).

Conclusions: For selected couples, ear plugs represent an effective short-term treatment for some of the social effects of disruptive snoring, as determined by the SOS, SBPS and ESS questionnaires.

Keywords

SnoringTherapyEar Protective Devices
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 120 , Issue 5 , May 2006 , pp. 381 - 384
Copyright
© 2006 JLO (1984) Limited

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