Inspire Medical Systems will soon begin to test a device that could go a long way to prevent snoring.
Though not always, snoring is often a symptom of a condition known as sleep apnea that affects 12 million Americans. Sleep apnea causes high stress levels and increased susceptibility to serious health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Lack of sleep contributes to employment issues like lowered productivity. At home snoring keeps bed partners awake at night.
The new device electronically stimulates nerves leading to the tongue, causing the muscle to constrict. One of the common causes of sleep apnea is a relaxation of the tongue that causes it to cover air passages. Keeping the tongue a bit stiffer while breathing may be enough to ensure easy breathing and sound sleep.
The device has the characteristics of a pace maker in that it will be capable of sending a low voltage charge to the right place (the tongue) at the right time (when a breath is drawn). A unique feature of the anti-snoring unit is that it can be activated via a remote control and set to turn on and off at particular times.
Doctors at Inspire hope that this will be a viable cure for sleep apnea sufferers. Most sleep apnea patients are prescribed a CPAP device which regulates air flow in and out of the nose. Although millions of patients use CPAP’s and have been able to control their symptoms, many find them cumbersome, uncomfortable or unworkable because of their physical characteristics.
source: personalfinancebulletin
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