Sleep apnea is quite a common sleep disorder that affects about 26 percent of the population in the US. This problem results in your breathing intermittently stopping and then starting during sleep. This action is involuntary, and a blocked airway mainly causes it.
The most common type of this sleep disorder is obstructive sleep apnea which is a result of the repeated collapse of the airway behind the throat. The airway is blocked as a result of an insufficient stimulus to the muscles around it air cannot reach the lungs. The stimulated muscles usually contract to prevent the airway from collapsing so that it does not block during breathing.
The condition can also be a result of the signaling problem within the brain where the breathing signal is lost briefly only to return in a short period. This type of condition is called central apnea, and it is less common among different individuals in the US.
This central apnea causes choking as you wake up, gasping for more air to breathe. The normal breathing process can fail during sleep which results in the air failing to enter the lungs. When this situation happens, you struggle to breathe normally, especially during your sleep.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea?
Various symptoms result from the condition of sleep apnea. The common one is loud snoring which can be irritating to other people around you. From the nature of snoring, you can tell that the person next to you is struggling to breathe. He or she often wakes up gasping for air, a sign showing the extent to which the airway is blocked.
The other symptom that you notice when you are suffering from sleep apnea is that you wake up with a dry mouth. You can also wake up with a morning headache, and this is a sign that shows the blockage of the airway. When this situation happens, sufficient oxygen cannot move to the brain.
The other symptoms of sleep apnea include high blood pressure or heart problems. When you gasp for air, this means that the heart is straining and it pumps blood under pressure. This situation is not suitable for your health in the long run.
The other symptom of sleep apnea is that you often experience difficulties staying asleep. This condition is called insomnia, and it is problematic in that you remain awake at the time you should be sleeping. The body follows a natural sequence of events, and failure to meet them can result in an adverse impact on other functions of the body.
Sleep apnea can also lead you to sleep excessively during the daytime, and this is a misnomer. When you sleep for more extended periods during the day, it means you have a problem that needs redress. Sleeping is for nighttime under normal circumstances.
Threats Posed By Untreated Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea poses life-threatening challenges like heart attack and stroke and can even lead to fatal road accidents due to lack of concentration. The other issue is that when you are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, in particular, you often feel unstable such that you cannot pay attention to different things taking place around you.
Failure to concentrate can cause unnecessary injuries or even lead to death, and this is why it is essential to seek remedies for the problem of sleep apnea. As such, this new solution offers excellent relief to affected people since its primary goal is to normalize the breathing cycle during sleep.
It can also help in eliminating daytime fatigue as well as preventing unwanted cardiovascular changes that result from strain due to improper breathing.
While many people are aware of the current therapy available called continuous positive airway pressure (C-pap), they do not want to embrace it for various reasons. Thus, a new treatment known as pacemaker therapy can be an alternative option for individuals suffering from sleep apnea.
This new treatment is currently available in the US only, and it is still in the testing phase. If you are one of those people facing problems related to sleep apnea, then this treatment comes the as good news. This remedy offers many benefits compared to other forms that are available.
How The New Treatment Works
This new treatment is called hypoglossal pacemaker, and it functions by pacing the hypoglossal nerve in the neck during sleep time. The pacemaker is inserted in the nerves within the neck, and it helps to reduce obstructed breathing by about 50 percent. The level of oxygen during nighttime is significantly improved as well as the quality of life among the affected persons.
The hypoglossal pacemaker has three main components, and the first one is called the stimulation electrode. It is inserted through a surgical implant on one of the hypoglossal nerves, either on the right or left side. The insertion process is not very complicated, and the patient does not feel any pain.
The sensing electrode is the second component, and it is surgically inserted into the chest, and its primary function is to detect the moment a person begins to inhale. The electrical generator is the third component, and it is responsible for supplying power to the battery of the pacemaker.
The hypoglossal nerve on the tongue positively responds when the stimulation electrode sends a signal upon sensing the start of breath. The signal activates the tongue, and its muscles stiffen thereby preventing airway closure. This action continually repeats, and this is how it prevents sleep apnea.
The new pacemaker treatment is a viable remedy for central apnea sleep, which is common among people with a heart problem and often challenging to treat. According to recent research, when a pacemaker is put in place via the central veil, just like a heart pacemaker, it stimulates the phrenic vein that is responsible for controlling diaphragm contraction.
The inserted pacemaker will sense the absence of breathing effort thereby activating the phrenic nerve. This nerve then stimulates the contraction of the diaphragm and causes inspiration to take place at the same time. According to the studies, central apnea significantly decreases while, at the same time, the quality of life of the patient improves. However, the pacemaker is not yet available in the US, but its approval by FDA will soon make it accessible. Hopefully, then you, too, can sleep like a baby.
Limitations of the new pacemaker treatment for sleep apnea
Indeed, there are many benefits of using the hypoglossal pacemaker treatment among people with obstructive sleep apnea who often encounter challenges with the continuous use of CPAP. For genuine reasons, this kind of therapy has not been widespread to date.
The primary limitation of this new treatment method is the high cost. The full therapy costs about $30,000, which is very high since it is not affordable to most people who belong to different brackets of income levels. Unless the price lowers, this treatment can remain a pipe dream due to its high cost.
The other issue about the treatment is the lack of data to support its effectiveness among severely obese people. Available data indicate that about two-thirds of the people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea are overweight. Though the procedure for inserting the pacemaker is not complicated, a brief surgical operation may be required to adjust its settings.
More experience is essential in the use of this kind of treatment until the time it gains widespread acceptance across different sectors of society. The therapy is noble though there are still some issues that should be ironed out to appeal to the interests of many people.
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THN Implant therapy for sleep apnea
THN Sleep Therapy is another new form of treatment that is ideal for obstructive sleep apnea that is usually a result of the relaxation of muscles within the airway. These muscles relax during sleep, and they cause the airway to close when you breathe, which results in the deprivation of oxygen to the brain.
Thus, THN sleep therapy is appropriate for patients who are not able to continuously use CPAP treatment for various reasons. The new sleep apnea implant therapy has been specially designed to regulate the muscle tone of the significant tongue muscles. This implant also helps to control airflow while at the same time reducing sleep apnea.
THN sleep therapy is probably the best remedy for sleep apnea since it gives you the freedom to sleep peacefully and no musk or hose connected to you while you sleep. This particular kind of therapy consists of a device called aura6000 that is implantable and stimulates the tongue explicitly to reduce sleep apnea.
THN system operates similarly to the cardiac pacemaker, but the only difference is that it links with the hypoglossal nerve in the neck instead of the heart. Just like the tongue pacemaker, the aura6000 acts in the same way and its principal objective is to assist the airway open during the night. This way, sleep apnea is reduced, and you can sleep peacefully.
What are the components of THN system?
You need to understand the components of this system before you apply it to solve problems related to sleep apnea. The aura6000 system comprises a computer that sends stimulation pulses to the hypoglossal nerve, and it also has a rechargeable battery. The cable transmits the vibrations to the hypoglossal nerve in the neck to stimulate the muscles while reducing sleep apnea in the process.
The other smart component is a small remote control that allows you to start or stop the therapy as well as to recharge the implant. This system is flexible in that it gives you the autonomy to be in control of the treatment. It is also easy to use, and it gives you peace of mind because the implant is just a simple process.
Benefits of THN system
There are numerous benefits that you can get from using this particular therapy to treat sleep apnea. The procedure to perform this aura6000 system is simple, and the recovery time is also quick. An ENT surgeon usually performs the therapy that is widely an outpatient process.
The therapy is designed to restore regular breathing patterns by delivering muscle tones to the muscles of the tongue and controlling the upper airway flow in the process. This significantly helps to reduce sleep apnea, and you can enjoy your sleep after the success of the implant.
The therapy uses a simple procedure that is not complex like other conventional surgeries to treat sleep apnea problems. The process is also reversible if you no longer require it. Removing the system is also easy since it follows a few simple steps, just like inserting the system.
This THN system gives you total freedom to sleep since there are no additional external devices required. For instance, you do not need any mask, hose or mouthpiece to aid the functioning of this system. These external connections can disturb your peaceful sleep so can safely enjoy peace of mind with the use of the new system.
The other element is that the THN sleep therapy is an alternative to CPAP, given that many people seem to be unwilling to continue using the treatment for different reasons. The remedy is convenient, and the patient does not experience any side effect like swallowing problems. The solution does not affect speech as well, so it is the best option compared to other conventional methods of treatment of sleep apnea.
While research shows that sleep apnea is prevalent among people belonging to different age groups in the US, its treatment remains an issue of concern. However, research indicates that the aura6000 system seems to be the best alternative among other forms of treatment. This treatment method is simple, and it has many benefits compared to other conventional sleep apnea treatment like CPAP. For example, the implant system is smart and simple to use. In other words, it gives the users peace of mind since there are no fears of complications or side effects.