Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
There is only one thing people like that is good for them; a good night's sleep - Edgar Watson Howe
.jpg "Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)")
image by: American Sleep Apnea Association
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Sleep Apnea Alternatives, Minus the CPAP Mask
Sleep apnea patients may soon have several new treatments to choose from. Not one involves an annoying face mask.
The major therapy for sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing during sleep, is CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure. With CPAP, patients breathe in pressurized air through a face mask attached to a hose and bedside pump. While it has proved remarkably effective, anywhere from 30% to more than half of patients can't or won't use CPAP as directed by their doctors, studies say. Some patients complain that the machines are noisy and the masks are uncomfortable.
The new treatments include nasal attachments, devices that suck the tongue forward…
Resources
'I’m Possibly Alive Because It Exists:' Why Sleep Apnea Patients Rely on a CPAP Machine Hacker
An Australian hacker has spent thousands of hours hacking the DRM that medical device manufacturers put on CPAP machines to create a free tool that lets patients modify their treatment.
I Learned I Have Sleep Apnea. It’s More Serious Than Many People Realize.
There are many treatment options for a problem that can be downright deadly.
Sleep Apnea Can Have Deadly Consequences
The condition is on the rise because the most frequent cause is obesity, which continues its unrelenting climb among American adults.
Generation Apnea
The evolutionary mistake that chokes millions of people every night.
Patient Voices: Sleep Apnea
Getting a good night’s rest is essential for good health, but people with sleep apnea aren’t able to succumb to slumber. Affecting an estimated 100 million people world-wide, obstructive sleep apnea causes episodes of stopped breathing during sleep, and the result is a fragmented, restless sleep that leaves sufferers exhausted and drowsy during the day. Here, five men and women speak about living with sleep apnea.
Do You Have Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Feeling groggy? Does your bed partner observe you gasping for air at night? If so, you might have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). One of the most common sleep disorders, OSA affects approximately 5 to 6 percent of the adult population and 2 percent of children.
For Sleep Apnea Patients, a Possible Alternative to Masks
The standard treatment for people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is a mask worn at night that helps them breathe without interruption. The mask is unwieldy and uncomfortable, however; one study found that 46 percent to 83 percent of patients with obstructive sleep apnea do not wear it diligently. Now scientists may have found an alternative, at least for some patients: a pacemaker-like device implanted in the chest that stimulates a nerve in the jaw...
How Treating Sleep Apnea Can Also Improve Depression Symptoms
For people with depression and obstructive sleep apnea, using a nightly device to improve breathing while asleep may also improve depression symptoms, according to a new review of the evidence.
New Study Gives Hope To Sleep Apnea Sufferers Who Can't Tolerate CPAP
The FDA approved the Inspire® device for use in patients who are unresponsive to or intolerant of other treatments for OSA in 2014. “This device operates by generating electrical stimulation, which advances the tongue forward and opens the pharyngeal airway during respiration. It is made up of three implanted elements: a breathing sensor, a small electrical impulse generator and a hypoglossal nerve stimulator,” the doctors reported. Implantation can be done on an outpatient basis.
Not Just a Man's Disease -- Women Get Sleep Apnea Too!
Decades ago, heart disease was thought of as a "man's disease" before well-targeted public education campaigns increased cardiac illness recognition among women and its profound impact on their health. Similarly, one of the most common sleep disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), has received a masculine label.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Recommendations Released
Got sleep apnea? Official treatment recommendations released Sept. 23 point to two complimentary approaches: Lose weight and undergo treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Surgery, on the other hand, should not be considered as an initial treatment, as evidence is limited on its effects, the recommendations say.
Study Bolsters New Sleep Apnea Device
A possible alternative for people who can't tolerate the traditional CPAP.
The Annoying Thing You're Doing In Bed That Might Be A Total Turn-Off
If there's one thing we think it's safe to say is almost always a bummer in the bedroom, it's snoring.
This Sleep Condition Is More Common Than Depression
Just about everyone can name someone who snores like a chainsaw -- but a cloud of mystery and denial still swirls around the condition often confused for regular old snoring, sleep apnea.
Treating Sleep Apnea Without the Mask
Now an alternative form of C.P.A.P. is gaining popularity: a patch that fits over the nostrils. Called Provent, the patch holds two small plugs, one for each nostril, that create just enough air pressure to keep the airways open at night. It is far less intrusive than the traditional C.P.A.P. machine. It is also more expensive, and it doesn’t work for every patient.
Unmasking Sleep Apnea Treatments: What to Try If CPAP Doesn't Work for You
You've likely heard of the "gold standard" for sleep apnea treatment, a machine with a running motor, tubing and a face mask called a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. However, for many sleep apnea sufferers, relief lies far from the mask in an effective alternative treatment called oral appliance therapy.
Sleep Apnea Alternatives, Minus the CPAP Mask
Implants, Nasal Attachments and Other Substitutes for the Most Common Treatment.
SleepApnea.org
Enhancing the lives of those with sleep apnea.
SNORE Australia
SNORE Australia is Australia's largest groups of sleep disorders centres. Our mission is to provide high quality, affordable sleep studies, so that every patient referred to us can achieve optimal medical care for their sleep problem, regardless of their financial status.
CPAPTalk.com
Find support, encouragement, and advice about sleep apnea.
IHateCPAP
I HATE CPAP! is an organization of dentists that strives to offer all our patients the most appropriate sleep apnea treatments available. By evaluating, diagnosing and treating your symptoms of sleep apnea, we will work to reduce or minimize your sleep difficulties and help you enjoy a long healthy life with restful nights of sleep. We understand the value of uninterrupted sleep, and our treatments can improve your quality of life and restore your good health.
Sleep Apnea Guide
Sleep-Apnea-Guide.com - help and advice for people with sleep apnea. Get the knowledge and support to find the best treatment You need.
Sleep Apnoea Trust Association
Working to improve the lives of sleep apnoea patients,their partners and their families. Managed by volunteers SATA is regarded as the leading UK charity working in the field of Sleep Apnoea
SleepApnea.com
Sleep better at night. Be more productive during the day. It’s time to live the life you want.
The Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation offers a number of resources to help patients who are currently suffering from or think that they may have sleep apnea.
American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine
Sleep apnea patient are often older, obese and have thick necks, but men and women of any age or body type can have sleep apnea. The sleep disorder progressively worsens with age and weight gain.
MayoClinic
There are two main types of sleep apnea: •Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax •Central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain doesn't send proper signals to the muscles that control breathing If you think you might have sleep apnea, see your doctor. Treatment is necessary to avoid heart problems and other complications.
MedicineNet
The nonsurgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea include behavior therapy, medications, dental appliances, continuous positive airway pressure, bi-level positive airway pressure, and auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure.
MedlinePlus
Sleep apnea is a common disorder that causes your breathing to stop or get very shallow. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. It causes your airway to collapse or become blocked during sleep. Normal breathing starts again with a snort or choking sound. People with sleep apnea often snore loudly. However, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. You are more at risk for sleep apnea if you are overweight, male, or have a family history or small airways. Children with enlarged tonsils may also get it.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed. Doctors usually can't detect the condition during routine office visits. Also, no blood test can help diagnose the condition. Most people who have sleep apnea don't know they have it because it only occurs during sleep. A family member or bed partner might be the first to notice signs of sleep apnea.
NHS
There are two types of breathing interruption characteristic of OSA: •apnoea – where the muscles and soft tissues in the throat relax and collapse sufficiently to cause a total blockage of the airway; it is called an apnoea when the airflow is blocked for 10 seconds or more •hypopnoea – a partial blockage of the airway that results in an airflow reduction of greater than 50% for 10 seconds or more.
Patient
The widely accepted definition of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a clinical condition in which there is intermittent and repeated upper airway collapse during sleep. This results in irregular breathing at night and excessive sleepiness during the day. OSA is a worldwide phenomenon. Studies suggest a prevalence in Western countries of 3-7% of middle-aged men and 2-5% of middle-aged women.
Thoracic.org
OSA is more common in men, women after menopause and people who are over the age of 65. OSA can also occur in children.
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