Sleep apnea pacemaker treats snoring

Sleep apnea: Pacemaker helps with unhealthy snoring

05/19/2014

It is estimated that about ten to thirty percent of adults snore while sleeping. This is not only annoying, but can also be an indication of sleep-disordered breathing. A new tongue pacemaker could now help to stabilize breathing during sleep. The device is only suitable for a few snores.

Potentially life-threatening sleep apnea
Millions of people snore in their sleep. According to estimates, around 10 to 30 percent of adults in Germany are said to be affected. Loud snoring can be a serious symptom of sleep-disordered breathing. Physicians speak of sleep apnea, in which the sufferers breathing is made difficult in sleep by a narrowing of the airways. In the effort to breathe through the narrowed airways, the typical snoring sounds. The breathing pauses that occur in this case can promote secondary diseases such as heart attack and stroke. The potentially life-threatening obstructive sleep apnea occurs in about five percent of the population and mainly affects overweight men in middle age.

No restful sleep
The reduced oxygen supply and recurring wake-up reactions of the body, which are associated with sleep apnea, are usually not consciously perceived by those affected. Dr. Joachim Maurer, head of the sleep medicine center of the University of Otolaryngology, Mannheim, told "n-tv.de": "Breathing interruptions put the body in a kind of rescue reaction with the release of adrenaline and many other effects." The Sleep is anything but relaxing in these cases. In addition, recurrent oxygen deficiency damages the blood vessels in the medium term and can lead to hypertension. Therefore, snorers must be treated with breathing pauses.

Tongue pacemaker gives hope
In most cases, surgical measures are taken for therapy or a special sleep mask (CPAP therapy) is used. But now also a new treatment option makes hope: the tongue pacemaker. "The device is a nerve stimulator that's a little smaller than a matchbox. He is implanted like a pacemaker below the clavicle, "says Maurer. The device fulfills two functions. On the one hand, it measures breathing and on the other, a weak electric pulse ensures that the tongue muscle remains tense during inhalation. This prevents the tongue from relaxing and therefore falls backwards and closes the airway. In this way, both the breathing and snoring noises are significantly reduced. The electrical impulse is only slightly or not noticeable to the patient.

Only suitable for a few patients
"The operation does not cause irreversible changes in the upper respiratory tract, swallowing, and speech remain unaffected," said the expert. However, he emphasized: "The device is only suitable for a small group of patients with snorers." The cause of the snoring and breathing interruptions must be the relaxation of the tongue muscles and the patients should not have too much breath interruption. In addition, the tongue pacemaker is only suitable for people who are unsuccessful with the standard therapies and otherwise would not receive any treatment at all. "The use of the tongue pacemaker is a new treatment option that should not be used lightly," says Maurer.

Make therapy safer and more effective
Still the patients are selected very strictly. For example, you must not have a lung disease, a pacemaker, or an overweight (obesity). Not in all cases, the costs, which are more than 10,000 euros, taken over by the health insurance. "Although the use of the tongue pacemaker is particularly promising compared to other invasive methods, more information and experience is needed at this stage to make therapy even safer and more effective," explained Maurer. "Therefore, all patients are given intensive care." However, over-pressure ventilation remains the first choice for the treatment of patients with sleep apnea. (Sb)