MOST people affected by snoring these days know that it is at best a mildly irritating nocturnal habit, and at worst a serious physical condition that is both damaging to the health of the snorer and to those who are forced to listen to it.
Its comedy value has meant that many long-term sufferers have been too embarrassed to admit they have a problem, let alone one they are prepared to take to their GP.
Finally, however, with help increasingly sought, it seems that the condition is now being taken seriously.
The medical profession has been quick to catch up and now offers comprehensive advice on why a particular person may snore and what is the best treatment on offer for them.
To help answer a few questions, The Herald spoke to local surgeon Andrew McCombe, who recently appeared on the Gloria Hunniford Show, where he discussed the causes of snoring and how it could be cured.
An ear, nose and throat specialist at Frimley Park Hospital since 1995, Dr McCombe, who lives in Bucks Horn Oak, is quick to point out how serious snoring can be - and not just for the people on the receiving end.
While it is widely regarded as an anti-social - though involuntary - habit, it is commonly underestimated just how dangerous snoring can be and the extent to which it reveals the health of the sufferer.
"When you fall asleep everything kind of collapses and goes floppy, and that includes the airway at the back of the throat," Mr. McCombe says.
"It gets narrower. But as it gets narrower you still need the same amount of air.
"So as the air goes past, you get this vibration of the soft tissue - particularly the uvula [the bit of flesh dangling at the back of the mouth]."
For a lot of people, this condition is the result of lifestyle, a less than physically sound body, and the unfortunate onset of old age.
A lot of the time, once the contributing factors are discovered by the doctor, self-administered remedies are quickly recommended and usually prove successful.
For instance, weight - especially in men - is a major contributing factor in determining who will snore and who won't.
"Snoring because of weight gain mostly affects men," says Mr McCombe.
"They tend to have more fat around their necks, which constricts the airways even more."
Excess alcohol also increases the chances of becoming a snorer.
The relaxing effects of a drink or five adds to the "floppiness" of the soft tissue in your throat.
One reason for snoring that cannot really be avoided is old age.
Quite simply, with age, you get more "floppy and less elastic", which increases the chance of vibration in the airways.
For those who could wake the dead with their snoring, then, the advice is simple.
Lose weight. Don't drink like a fish. Try not to get old too quickly.
But if these goals seem a mite unachievable for the average person - and let's face it, what would be the point of living if you couldn't eat and drink merrily into your autumn years - there are other less life-altering methods to ensure a good night's sleep for all.
"There are a number of things you can do," says Dr McCombe.
"Some people use the nasal strips, like Robbie Fowler uses, if they are particularly nasally congested.
"Some people just have to be stopped from sleeping on their backs.
"So old wives recipes like sowing a tennis ball into the back of your pyjamas are not that bad an idea, because it makes you roll over onto your side."
If all of the above fails, however, there is always surgery, which involves the use of a laser to toughen up the soft throat tissue.
Laser treatment is much like a visit to the dentist.
The patient sits upright in a chair, wide awake in the doctor's office.
After being given a local anaesthesia, a laser is used to thicken the soft palate and tissue at the back of the mouth and throat.
Each session lasts about ten minutes, with the full treatment spread over around three to five sessions spaced about four weeks apart.
Although the patient will have a mild sore throat for a few days, eating and speaking are not affected, and no blood is drawn during the procedure.
A reduction in snoring is usually evident straight away, with significant improvement usually occurring after the second session.
The success of the surgery is such that 85 per cent of sufferers are cured outright, while 12 per cent say they don't snore as much as they did.
Apart from being a possible indicator of an unhealthy lifestyle, snoring can also be hiding more life-threatening conditions such as obstructive sleep apnoea, which occurs when the airway at the back of the throat collapses during sleep, preventing oxygen entering the lungs for seconds at a time.
If these episodes last for more than ten seconds and occur more than seven times in an hour, the consequences can be fatal.
But even if the obstructive apnoea does not pose an immediate threat to the sufferer, a reduced amount of oxygen being passed to the brain on a regular basis will mean lighter sleeps as the body tries to keep a tighter grip on the muscles that become too relaxed and flaccid.
This results in increasing tiredness, making nodding off during work-hours, or when operating machinery, a very debilitating, if not dangerous, possibility.
So, the next time a loved one threatens divorce on the grounds that you resemble a foghorn while sleeping, remember that something can be done to remedy or even cure your problem.
Just don't ignore why you are snoring in the first place: it could save your life.
Steve Berriman