Sleep Apnea Treatment

Posted on 02/13/2011 12:28 pm by admin

Ancient technique holds promise for the treatment of Sleep Apnea

 
If you are like most people you find it hard to sleep with someone who snores (including yourself), it is worth looking into acupuncture.

Snoring can sometimes be part of a larger picture called obstructive sleep apnea which is a syndrome characterized by related collapse of a person’s airway during sleep. Breathing becomes extremely labored and can stop altogether, for as long as a minute. So the victim gasps in a lung full of air and resaturate the blood stream with an adequate supply of oxygen. The victim then immediately slips back into shallow non-restorative sleep.
 
Sleep Apnea is not just disruptive to sleep but potentially fatal when left untreated!

Sleep apnea is not just disruptive to sleep but potentially fatal. People with the condition of sleep apnea are at high risk for heart attacks, diabetes, stroke, decreased cognitive function, reduced ability to think, tired, loss of vitality and even more prone to fatal car crashes. Futhermore, the following changes occur to people who have prolonged sleep apnea.

 
People with sleep apnea who exercise get additional strain placed on their heart and cardiovascular systems. Over time, chronic stress on the heart can leave men vulnerable during strenuous exercise. Over time, abnormal thickening of their heart’s right ventricle causes the heart to struggle to pump enough blood to the lungs. Others produce extra red blood cells similar to people who live in high altitudes. The downside is that although this adaptation allows one to increase oxygen carrying capacity, it leads to “sludgy” harder-to-pump blood.

Apnea can also cause the growth on collateral heart vessels, which is seen in people whose coronary arteries are clogged with plaque. These new blood vessels are insufficient at compensating for a clogged artery for very long, if at all.   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sleep Apnea affects people who are Physically Fit

 

Four to six percent of American men suffering from sleep apnea don’t even know the danger they are in and many will deny it since it can affect both people with big neck sizes as well as people who are incredibly physically fit, men with thin neck sizes and thin waistline! In fact sleep apnea is becoming a secret threat to active men. Many researchers are arguing that routine apnea screenings need to include active men who are rarely suspected of sleep apnea.


In a 2006 Dr. Mair and researchers at the Walford hall U.S. Air Force Medical center in San Antonio analyzed the relationship between apnea and aerobic fitness among members of the U.S. Air Force. Over the years, the Air Force has performed 1.4 million tests of personnel, using stationary bikes to determine their VO2 max. “What we thought we’d see is that guys with apnea would literally flunk the VO2 max test,” says Dr. Mair. “However, that wasn’t necessarily true.”

Many subjects with apnea, especially younger ones, actually proved to be fitter than their age-matches but apnea-free peers. The reasons for this paradox remain unclear, but Dr. Mair strongly suspects that weightlifting and other rigorous physical training may have a surprising downside. “The traits that make professional soldiers formidable on the battlefield, “ he says, “including increased BMI form upper-body muscular hypertrophy, and large, muscular necks, can leave then gasping for breath as they sleep” .This means that almost any man can be suffering the effects of sleep apnea.    

 Treatment for Sleep Apnea
CPAP machines help treat the condition of Obstructive Sleep Apnea 

CPAP machines are used to treat the condition of obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP is an acronym for “continuous positive airway pressure”. The CPAP machine blows air at a prescribed pressure (also called the titrated pressure). The necessary pressure is usually determined by a sleep physician after review of a study supervised by a sleep technician during an overnight study called poysomnography in a sleep laboratory. CPAP treatment can be highly effective in treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. For some patients, the improvement in the quality of sleep and quality of life due to CPAP treatment will be noticed after a single night’s use. Often, the patient’s sleep partner also benefits from markedly improved sleep quality, due to the amelioration of the patient’s loud snoring.  But many do not use their CPAP machines regularly.
 
A major issue with CPAP is non-compliance. Studies show that some users either abandon the use of CPAP, and/or use CPAP for only a fraction of the nights.  Prospective PAP candidates are often reluctant to use this therapy, since the nose mask and hose to the machine look uncomfortable and clumsy, and the airflow required for some patients can be vigorous. Some patients will develop nasal congestion while others may experience rhinitis or a runny nose. Some patients adjust to the treatment within a few weeks, others struggle for longer periods, and some discontinue treatment entirely. However, studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy at the beginning of therapy dramatically increases compliance—up to 148%. Furthermore, research has shown that PAP side effects are rarely the reason patients stop using PAP. There are reports of dizziness, sinus infections, bronchitis, dry eyes, dry mucosal tissue irritation, ear pain, and nasal congestion secondary to CPAP use.

Say goodbye to your CPAP Machine

Acupuncture can help reduce the incidence of sleep apnea. If people are not using their CPAP machines, they are playing Russian roulette with a condition that is a ticking time bomb for their health. Isn’t it time to say goodbye to your CPAP machine, permanently? I am offering any friend or family member (or even yourself ) a chance to come in and find out if this option would be something for you to consider. We would use the treatment protocol used in the study to achieve similar results. An alternative therapy that could help you get the rest you need, and the reduction of risk factors without using a CPAP machine is something worth exploring. If you are trying to avoid surgery, it is worth at least looking into this ancient therapy.

Acupuncture Treatments – Success Rate Shocking!

In a study undertaken in 2006 , 26 patients who suffered from sleep apnea underwent acupuncture. Those patients who received acupuncture saw significant changes in breathing measurements (decrease in the AHI by 50% and AI and reduction in respiratory incidences) and improvement in sleep. The control group actually had a worsening of their sleep apnea. These improvements were seen without changes in basal metabolic index or reduction in body weight. Patients were treated for 10 weeks using the acupuncture protocol. Based on these findings and the growing epidemic of sleep apnea, Surgery, one of the last options seems to work only half of the time and can occasionally make the situation worse.

(below is a picture of the points used to treat sleep apnea in the study)   

 

I invite you to call for a free complementary phone consultation to find out more about this exciting new treatment option. I am avialable at 201-694-4764.  Please take a moment to read an article written by the

American Chronicle on Acupuncture and Sleep Apnea

Herbal Cures for Sleep Apnea

Treatment For Sleep Apnea

 

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