Strange new device for sleep apnea

-
The most recognized cure for sleep apnea is the CPAP machine, a device that blows air through a tube constantly which in turn keeps the throat’s airway open. If the CPAP doesn’t work there is always surgery, which is not always reliable. Alternative cures exist like playing didgeridoo or doing mouth exercises but they haven’t been proven to work. Now there is a new device created by Inspire medical systems which acts like a pacemaker to keep your throat open.


The device is surgically implanted in your chest. The device sends electrical shocks (small electrical shocks) to the tongue and the back of the throat to keep them from collapsing which prevents airway blockage. The pacemaker detects when the sleep apnea sufferer stops breathing, it then send the charge. I can imagine that whatever electrical charge is sent it can’t be that strong, at least I hope not. The device can also be adjusted for different levels of sleep apnea.

Testing on the device will begin at the end of January with 100 patients. It will be interesting to see if it works

Feel free to comment and please subscribe to my RSS Feed
Thanks

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sleep Apnea and a deviated Septum

-
Image
A deviated septum can be a factor in developing sleep apnea. The septum is the area between the nostrils that separates the nasal passages. Any blockage can cause disruption of your breathing. What causes a deviated septum? You could be born with a deviated septum or you could have one as a result of an injury to the nose. Old age can also be a factor causing the septum to be crooked. What is done to treat a deviated septum? The surgery is usually done as an outpatient procedure. It takes between 60 and 90 minutes. Working through the nose, the surgeon bends the cartilage to eliminate the blockage. After the surgery there may be packing inside the nose, it will stay there for up to 3 days allowing the nose to heal. Unfortunately, just having the surgery doesn’t correct sleep apnea for those who have severe OSA . One ENT that I saw suggested that I have the surgery. He told me that although it wouldn’t cure my sleep apnea, it would certainly help. I declined, and I’m glad I...
Read more

Can a Chiropractor help with your Sleep Apnea?

-
There are a few well-known treatments for sleep apnea, such as the CPAP machine or the various types of positive air machines, such as bipap and apap. Some find relief with it, but many people just can’t get used to the feeling of wearing a mask in bed, and the noise is irritating, too. Surgeries are usually considered the last option for sleep apnea patients due to the long recovery time and the fact that it isn’t always successful. There are also unconventional treatments, one of which involves seeing a chiropractor . The medical community usually frowns upon chiropractic. But a large proportion of the population has found their services invaluable and couldn’t do without them. I have known people who take their children to them at an early age to start treatments. So, chiropractic does provide an important service to many people. But can they help with sleep apnea? I have read that one person found relief from sleep apnea by having his neck curvature adjusted. Others h...
Read more

Heat and cpap users

-
If you are using a cpap mask then you probably know how hot they can get especially in the summer. Even if you have the air conditioning cranked up high wearing a cpap mask can be uncomfortable in hot weather . You add humidity to that excessive heat and you may have a dangerous problem. With a cpap mask regardless of the weather the sleep apnea patient may feel discomfort from where the cpap mask touches the skin. If you add in the heat and humidity it will only aggravate the problem. There are things that you can do to help alleviate this problem. The first thing is to make sure that your mask is comfortable. The cpap machine and mask have been around quite awhile now and there have been substantial improvement to not only the machine but also the mask. If you don’t feel comfortable with your present mask there are many others to choose from. And of course there are humidifiers that are connected to the cpap machines. They keep the air that is going into your mouth moist whi...
Read more