A Comfortable Way To Treat Sleep Apnea

(WebMD) An experimental treatment may offer a more comfortable alternative to cumbersome treatments for obstructive sleep apnea.

The treatment entails using a thin, flexible tube with small prongs that are inserted into the nostrils. A new, small study shows the treatment effectively reduced the sleep disruptions and interrupted breathing associated with the common sleep disorder.

Researchers say the results suggest that using a nasal cannula to deliver warm, moist air to the nasal passageways during sleep may be a viable option for people who find other sleep apnea treatments hard to follow. A nasal cannula is more commonly used to deliver oxygen through the nose.

"Current treatment options ... are often intrusive or invasive and not well-tolerated, leaving a vast number of patients untreated," says researcher Harmut Schneider, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, in a news release. "Improved therapeutic strategies are required to treat sleep apneas."

Sleep apnea affects more than 12 million Americans and is especially common among overweight and obese people. Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

The obstructive form of sleep apnea is caused by an obstruction in the upper airway that leads to interrupted breathing during sleep. Current treatment options for the sleep disorder include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) using a breathing machine, oral appliances, and surgery.

In the study, researchers evaluated the effects of using nasal cannulas to deliver warm, moist air to the nasal passage at a high rate in 11 people with mild-to-moderate forms of obstructive sleep apnea compared with no treatment. The participants wore the nasal cannulas during sleep and researchers monitored the number of sleep-disordered breathing events and sleep arousals.

The results, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, showed that the nasal cannula treatment reduced the average number of disordered-breathing events from 28 to 10 per hour. The experimental treatment also reduced the average number of sleep arousals from 18 to two per hour.

Researchers say the treatment appears to work by alleviating upper airway obstruction and improving ventilation. Although this study provides evidence that this new technique may be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, further study in a larger and more diverse group of people is needed to confirm these results.

I read the research on this and was wondering if anyone has been able to have their Dr try this? It sure would solve the mask issues.

How does the nasal cannula (reported by Gerrman scientists in NY Times) compare with our
regular air machines--as good at reducing OSA incidents? I use the new A pap machine, and wake up just as exhausted, but the machine readout indicates that i wake less often, etc., so at least it is
better for one's health (i hope).
Janet ;)

This would be an interesting option for those of us who do not sleep in one postition all night. I have to move occasionally due to degenerative disc disease and arthritis. I wake completely now due to the hose, mask etc slipping or tugging. I have been trying for 6 months to solve these issues, without much success so far. I use the cpap about 3-4 hours a night. I want to take care of the apnea, but I am actually losing about two hours of sleep a night between a longer time to fall asleep with the machine and the movement issues. I post this here hoping for ideas, as well as to those sleep center people who may look at these. Unfortunately, cpap is a tough solution for some of us.