Shocking Sleep Help
Reported September 19, 2011

NEW YORK (Ivanhoe Newswire) --Obstructive sleep apnea robs millions of Americans of sleep each night. Patients with the disorder can stop breathing during sleep. It’s a serious condition that can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Many patients cannot tolerate the traditional therapies used. Now, see the new way to treat sleep apnea and give patients sweet dreams.

For years, a lot of joe…cup after cup…was the only way Richard Krohn could get through his days.

I was having trouble sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night and feeling tired when I did get up," Richard Krohn, a sleep apnea patient told Ivanhoe.

Richard has obstructive sleep apnea or OSA– it’s a common disorder that can cause patients to stop breathing five, 10, or even hundreds of times a night. Now, neurologists and sleep experts are using a new therapy called inspire upper airway stimulation to help patients get some z's.

OSA is caused by a blockage of the airway by the tongue. The new inspire treatment prevents the tongue from blocking the airway and helps restore a natural breathing cycle.

"The therapy is actually off during the day, the patient turns on the device when they get ready to go to sleep," Jason Cornelius, M.D., neurologist at North Memorial Medical Center told Ivanhoe.

A small device similar to a pacemaker is implanted in the chest. The device has a wire that connects to a nerve that controls one of the major tongue muscles. A sensor near the ribs detects each breathing cycle. During each breath, the device delivers a mild stimulation that prevents the tongue from blocking the airway

"There’s all the hidden benefits beyond just daytime sleepiness and getting a good night's rest, in terms of mood, improving mood and outlook and concentration, protecting your heart preventing diabetes,” Dr. Cornelius explained.

The device has changed Richard’s life. More sleep at night and less coffee required in the morning.

"I know that I get a better night sleep now, because when I wake up I feel rested,” Krohn concluded.

A little stimulation for a good nights sleep.

The inspire upper airway stimulation therapy is currently available only through a medical clinical trial called the star trial for more information visit thestartrial.com