People with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to stick to prescribed treatment when a partner or parent is involved with their treatment, according to a team of sleep researchers.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway collapses during sleep. It is the most common type of sleep-disordered breathing, and chances of it occurring become more elevated in obese people.

The first line of treatment for sleep apnea is a non-invasive in-home treatment called CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure therapy. However, if patients do not use the equipment properly, or at all, it cannot help. Read the rest of this entry

The most effective treatment for the nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, according to a new report.

A CPAP machine pumps air through a mask while the patient sleeps. This treatment is highly effective in improving sleep and reducing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to the review of available evidence.

However, side effects such as dry nose and mouth, nosebleeds, chest discomfort and feeling trapped can cause patients to abandon CPAP treatment, noted the authors of the report, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

One expert called the report’s findings “valuable.” Read the rest of this entry

The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are quickly reversed when the therapy is withdrawn, according to Swiss research. The findings appear online in the articles-in-press section of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“In patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are established on CPAP treatment, withdrawal of the therapy is associated with a rapid recurrence of OSA and sleepiness within a few days” said Malcolm Kohler, MD, senior consultant at the Sleep Disorders Centre and Pulmonary Division of the University Hospital in Zurich. “After 14 days of CPAP withdrawal, OSA patients experienced considerable increases in heart rate and blood pressure as well as a deterioration in vascular function.” Read the rest of this entry

Former USC football star Petro Papadakis, who currently hosts the KLAC AM 570 afternoon radio show, announced that he had received successful treatment for sleep apnea and snoring from Dr. Jonathan Greenburg.  Dr. Greenburg fitted Papadakis with a patent-pending appliance that is customized to each person’s mouth and tongue.   Papadakis commented, “It’s been a great alternative to the CPAP for me.  Dr. Greenburg is an innovator and visionary and his Snore No More Device enables me to sleep on planes and at my house without disturbing the peace.  The dental device opens your airway just like the CPAP and is much less cumbersome.“

Dr.Greenburg commented, “Petros is one of many sleep apnea or snoring sufferers who find the CPAP machine uncomfortable and too difficult to use.  Our custom fitted oral appliance treatment program gently repositions the tongue away from the airway at night and is ideal for patients like him who are either CPAP intolerant or travel often and wish to not have to take a CPAP machine with them.” Read the rest of this entry

Wearing compression stockings could be an effective and cheap way to help people suffering with a common sleep disorder, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Brescia in Italy, found that wearing flight socks during the day reduced the symptoms of  sleep apnea among sufferers at night.

Around four per cent of men and two per cent of women in the UK have the condition that  interrupts breathing at night for ten seconds at a time.It can leave sufferers feeling exhausted as  the body reacts to obstructed airways by going from a state of deep sleep to  lighter rest.There are few effective treatments available  for the condition, which is particularly prevalent among the overweight and  over-65s. Many refuse to use available airway machines  as they require wearing a mask all night. Read the rest of this entry

A Medical Report from the Mayo Clinic says the risk for heart attack and stroke is much higher for anyone suffering from sleep apnea. It can also aggravate diabetes, cause cardiovascular problems, and contribute to memory problems. Doctors recommend using a C-PAP machine, a device that goes over your nose and provides air pressure while you breath at night.Sleep apnea may run in families. It’s also associated with obesity.

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ BELMONT, Calif., April 4, 2011 / — Ventus Medical, Inc. today reported positive results from a 19 center clinical trial using its FDA-cleared Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy device to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Provent Therapy uses the patient’s own breathing to create expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to keep the airway open during sleep. The full results of this three month study were published in the April 2011 issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal SLEEP, an official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

“This randomized, sham-controlled study demonstrates that Provent Therapy significantly improves the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), a scale to measure the number of breathing interruptions or stoppages per hour of sleep, as well as subjective sleepiness, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea,” said study author Richard B. Berry, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, medical director of the University of Florida and Shands Sleep Disorders Center, and former president of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation. “Importantly, self-reported patient adherence on Provent Therapy was almost 90 percent.” Read the rest of this entry

The prevalence of sleep apnea is expected to grow with the rise in obesity and the aging population, because age and weight are two factors that increase the chances of developing the chronic condition in which the back of the throat relaxes and the airway becomes blocked.

The use of dental devices to treat sleep apnea is growing in popularity, according to Sheri Katz, the president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, a national organization that provides training and resources for dentists and orthodontists who treat sleep apnea.

Luria makes dental devices only for patients who can’t use a CPAP machine. “If you can wear the mask, wear the mask,” Luria says. “CPAP machines work phenomenally. But not everyone can wear the masks. That’s how dentistry got involved in this.” Luria says the dental appliances cost anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500. But all of them do the same thing: They move the jaw forward, pulling the tongue out of the back of the throat. [ Read Complete Post BY JEFF SEIDEL at DETROIT FREE PRESS ...   ]

Dr. Mary E. Lucido demonstrates the proper way to put on an ambulatory sleep apnea device

Sleep apnea is not just a “grown-up” disease. Hyperactivity, loud snoring, weight loss, chronic mouth breathing, sleepwalking and frequent throat infections in children all could be a sign of sleep apnea.

Once a patient is diagnosed with a sleep disorder, the focus shifts to what type of solution is best for them. While the CPAP machine has become the best known and widely utilized, other options also are available.

“There are several designs now that open up the airways,” Lucido said. “For people who are not able to use a CPAP machine, this is another alternative. Also, if someone with a CPAP machine travels a lot, it is much easier to take an oral appliance with them and use it as a temporary solution.”

Lucido said she gets nervous when she sees “quick fix” solutions for snoring advertised on television. “Many times, those products can treat the symptom without dealing with the real problem,” she said. [ Read Complete Post By FRED POLLARD at The Telegraph ...  ]

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ] / BELMONT, Calif., March 3, 2011 / Ventus Medical, Inc. a privately-held medical device company dedicated to providing novel products to treat sleep-disordered breathing, today announced that it has received CE Mark for its Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy.

“We are pleased to accomplish this important regulatory milestone. Receiving CE Mark for Provent Therapy will facilitate our international commercialization strategy and allow us to launch this product in selected countries over the next several months,” said Peter Wyles, president and chief executive officer of Ventus Medical. “We intend to introduce Provent Therapy internationally in a systematic way through established distributors, focusing on countries with a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. There is a clear need for therapeutic options other than CPAP and Provent Therapy represents an attractive new alternative.” Read the rest of this entry

Sleep Apnea Disorder/ [ Press Relese ] / The Healthy Trucking Association of America (HTAA) Summit will be the first venue to exhibit the new Transcend Sleep Apnea Therapy System. To be held at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta on March 1-3 this year, the HTAA Summit is the trucking industry’s premiere health and wellness event focused on improving the health of the nation’s professional driver population. Attracting trucking fleet safety directors, HR directors, recruitment and retention managers, and other fleet executives and industry leaders, this year’s Summit will feature sessions on sleep disorders, obesity and weight loss, hypertension and heart health, respiratory health, diabetes, and more.

Transcend is a new wearable obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA) therapy device designed to overcome hurdles associated with using a bulky, hassle-ridden traditional CPAP. Weighing about 1 lb, the FDA-approved Transcend is the smallest CPAP on the market. It is easy to operate, uses low power, replaces the messy humidification chamber with heat moisture exchange technology, and has optional battery back-up. Transcend will be on display at the Summit on March 2 and 3. Read the rest of this entry

About a quarter-million people in the Charlotte area are Medicare patients, and many of them have been or will be affected by a new system that significantly limits their provider choices for certain services. Members of Congress, caretakers and patients are already raising red flags, claiming the new system is flawed. 

Marilyn Graham said she is concerned about how well Medicare patients will be able to navigate the new system. She has a condition called sleep apnea and uses a continuous positive airway pressure machine — known as a CPAP machine — to help her breathe at night. 

In mid-January, she accidentally tore the face mask, which pumps oxygen into her lungs. Graham called her provider but was told the business couldn’t help her anymore because it didn’t win a Medicare competitive bidding contract for CPAP machines. Read the rest of this entry

A New York Times report examined how poor sleep and susceptibility to colds go hand in hand, and scientists think it could be a reflection of the role sleep plays in maintaining the body’s defenses.

Most people with sleep apnea are aware that they snore and feel overtired or fatigued but are unaware of potentially serious medical problems that include memory loss, stroke, heart disease and an increase risk of auto accidents.

In a study for The Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists followed 153 men and women for two weeks, keeping track of their quality and duration of sleep. After exposure to the cold viruses, those who slept an average of fewer than seven hours a night were three times as likely to get sick. If you have Obstructive Sleep Apnea or are NOT using your CPAP, Find a Sleep Apnea Treatment Center near your locality.
Read the rest of this entry

Using a CPAP while sleeping is the most common treatment. And the machines can be expensive. Prices vary greatly, but generally range from $1,500 to $3,000.

SecondWindCPAP in Tracy, Minn. provides free machines to those in need through a partnership with the American Sleep Apnea Association. The nonprofit association will send you a receipt for your tax-deductible contribution. It also collects cash donations to keep the program going. 

To donate, pack your machine into its travel bag or plenty of cushioning and send it to SecondWindCPAP, 163 3rd St., Tracy, MN, 56175. 

If your machine doesn’t work properly or is more than 10 years old, don’t send it. SecondWind has no way to make repairs, and it’s difficult to reuse models that are more than a decade old, Seager says. 

If your machine has been used for 500 or fewer hours, is in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition and has not been exposed to cigarette smoke, you can ask SecondWind if it is interested in purchasing it. The company’s website has more details about the types of machines it will buy.  [  Read Complete Post By Diane Suchetka ....  ]

SleepApneaDisorder/(Press Release)/New York, NY ,January 19, 2011 / Dr. Farhad Hakimi announces today that from his 12 years of research of over 3,500 patients suffering from sleep apnea & snoring, that limiting alcohol intake before bed can help to reduce snoring in some patients that are looking for ways to lower their night-time snoring without the use of a CPAP machine or other oral appliance.

Dr. Hakimi says that having alcohol before bedtime increases the relaxation of the tongue and throat muscles, therefore making snoring more likely. In addition to reducing alcohol intake before bed, he recommends to his patients to make sure nasal passages are clear, as this makes breathing much easier during night-time sleeping. Read the rest of this entry