- At link below, 2/3 of the way down into the article, see photo of pliable mouth device:
"Instead of relying on forced air to keep his airway open when he sleeps, Arnott now wears this soft oral appliance at night. The device is more comfortable than CPAP, he says, and has decreased his apnea symptoms to "negligible" or "mild." "
Mentioned: sedative (sleeping pills) increase risk of sleep disorders / apnea . . . too little good sleep kills immune function & can lead to diabetes . . .
Snooze Alert: A Sleep Disorder May Be Harming Your Body And Brain
By Jon Hamilton - NPR - August 24, 2015
Excerpts:
. . . he often found himself having trouble staying awake . . .
. . . "Within 2 1/2 weeks we can take someone who is young, healthy and fit and put them in a pre-diabetic state just by putting them on an irregular schedule," Czeisler says. . . .
. . . "It's during sleep that we clear out many of the toxins that build up during wakefulness," Czeisler says. Among those toxins is beta-amyloid, which produces the sticky plaques that appear in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. . . .
. . . Arnott has an unusual variant of obstructive sleep apnea, Wellman says. "His airway actually collapses at the epiglottis . . . .
. . . One alternative is surgery to help keep the airway open. Another is an oral appliance that moves the lower jaw forward.
Arnott eventually switched to an oral appliance and has made a series of other changes. He sleeps on his side, which reduces apnea. He tries to get to bed at the same time each night. And he has begun doing yoga before bedtime, which he says helps with his restless leg syndrome. . . . -
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
Yes, I had sleep apnea. I needed to sleep for a few hours each afternoon. And, these long naps just made me feel worse!
I had no life from my "mild" sleep apnea. (Diagnosis from sleep study.) A pulmonologist who specializes in sleep disorders looked at the data from the sleep study and said my oxygen level was in the 80s (percentage) during the night.
No wonder I was always totally exhausted.
My dentist gave me a dental device and it totally cured my sleep apnea. It was called an ema. Here is a link:
It pulls the lower jaw forward by "hooking" it to the upper jaw. The bands come in different sizes so that you can pull the lower jaw forward more or less as needed. When you pull the lower jaw forward, it pulls the tongue forward which stops the apnea.
The only problem was that I got a headache from the device. I needed one that allowed me to open and close my mouth at night. So, my dentist made me another device that didn't give me the continual, horrendous headache.
Then, I lost 10 pounds and the apnea went away. So, now I no longer have sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a serious disorder that seriously affects your entire body and especially brain.
Many dentists are now making these devices for patients with sleep apnea. My dentist had an at-home sleep study machine that he gave me to see if I had sleep apnea. It was simple and didn't interfere with my sleep that night. (But, I looked like a suicide bomber!)
This is a very easy way to find out if sleep apnea is your problem. Then, you can do a formal sleep study if you want to or need to to have your health insurance pay for the dental device.
Posted by Goggie (Member # 46519) on :
I too suffered from sleep apnea. Eventually I had surgery to correct a deviated septum and also surgery on my throat to remove extra tissue and uvula. Recovery was tough but not having to use a machine at night has been wonderful. Been about 5 years since surgery.
Posted by Andromeda (Member # 45866) on :
I have sleep apnea. The mouth piece costs 3,500$. Insurance only covers $1500. So I don't use anything.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- eeeeeeee. The thought of price had crossed my mind but did not "go there" - insurance companies should pay people who need it to use it as, when it does help, it could cut down so many other rx and risk factors and save insurance costs in the long run. -
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
You can get a temporary EMA for $350. It lasts 1 to 2 years.
Then, since it stops apnea, you can try to lose weight and get rid of the apnea permanently.
You can't lose weight when you have sleep apnea or major insomnia.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Thanks, TF.
To figure out what an EMA is, Google took me (and will take curious others, too) to many links for EMA appliances.
Just Google: EMA, snoring
In my optimistic heart, I'd like to think that maybe insurance companies would strike a deal with anyone who asked to cover more for methods that have a good chance. One by one, maybe. Can't hurt to ask. -
Posted by TF (Member # 14183) on :
I give the link to the ema in my post of Aug. 24 in this thread.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Oh. Eyes wide open, I see it now. Thanks for the pointer. -