There are not many options available on the market right now to reduce the suffering of people who snore, or the suffering of anyone who is locked in ears. But new device could be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday game changer for those bedtime woes, and the best part is that you don’t even have to spend it at night.
The eXciteOSA device is the first of its kind to be cleared to treat snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that involves a person’s airway being constantly blocked while they sleep, by stimulating a person’s tongue muscle. While many other snoring and sleep apnea treatments focus on the nose and aim to keep the airways of the gut clear, the tongue is just as much of a culprit behind the problem, as it can fall back while a person is asleep and obstruct airflow.
To try to keep this going, the eXciteOSA mouth uses four electrodes – two above the tongue and two below – to deliver neuromuscular stimulation through a series of electrical pulses with rest periods in between. Patients use the device on their tongue for 20 minutes daily over six weeks to begin with, then once a week thereafter.
On Friday, the FDA granted marketing approval to Signifier Medical Technologies, the developer of the device. The group reported that the device reduced high snoring (anything over 40dB) by 20% in 87 out of the 155 patients involved in its assessment, per press release. Out of a subset of patients struggling with both snoring and mild sleep apnea, the Apnea-Hypopnea Index tool reduced each person, which measures the severity of obstructive sleep apnea, with an average of 48% in 41 out of 48 patients. In terms of side effects, the most common ones seen by the FDA were excessive salivation, tongue or tooth discomfort, tongue-tingling, dental filling sensitivity, metabolic taste, gagging, and tightness in the hook.
The eXciteOSA oral contraceptive is prescribed only for now and is intended for adults 18 and older who do not have contraindicated cases or devices, which include step-machines, packaged lead including, temporary or permanent implants, dental braces, and dental implants, among others. Major obstructive sleep apnea is also not intended to be treated, and patients should have a complete dental examination before starting treatment, according to the group.
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Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that can lead to serious medical conditions if left untreated, such as glaucoma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental and behavioral disorders. , the FDA said. One study with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finding that approximately 936 million adults between the ages of 30 and 69 experience minor to severely obstructive sleep apnea worldwide.
“Obstructive sleep apnea not only affects the quality of sleep, but can have other adverse health effects if left untreated. Today’s authorization offers a new option for thousands of people experiencing snoring or mild sleep apnea, ”said Dr Malvina Eydelman, director of the Office of Ophthalmic Instruments, Anesthesia, Respiratory, ENT, and Dentistry in the FDA’s Center for Radiation Engineering and Technology. Health, in the organisation’s press release.
While snoring can be really hard for those who are forced to listen to that racket all night (completely without speaking from experience here …), no. that does not necessarily indicate a worse sleep disorder, although many of its symptoms outweigh obstructive sleep apnea. . It is a common case, however: About 45% of adults snore from time to time, and a quarter of adults snore regularly. according to John Hopkins Researchers.
It is clear that eXciteOSA oral medication is not the holy remedy for these issues, but it has shown promising results so far and could inspire future treatments that try new ways of kick those sleeping situations. And I’m sure anyone dealing with a snoring partner will agree that it’s a good solution that leads to more Zzzs and fewer earplugs.