Sleep apnea can make your nights restless and cause you to wake up feeling tired in the morning. While it’s true that a few simple lifestyle changes, such as avoiding sleeping on your back or losing weight, can help you get some more restful shut-eye, they aren’t going to be an effective solution long-term if your condition isn’t properly diagnosed or treated in the first place. The good news is that recent research shows that tongue stimulating devices, which provide mild electrical stimulation to certain areas of the tongue, can help alleviate sleep apnea symptoms even after surgery has failed to correct them.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a condition that causes people to stop breathing for short periods of time during sleep. This can happen multiple times throughout the night, often without the person even realizing it. Sleep apnea can lead to daytime fatigue, increased risk of accidents, and other health problems.

Types of CPAP Devices

There are three main types of CPAP devices: full face masks, nasal masks, and nasal pillows. Full face masks cover both your nose and mouth, while nasal masks only cover your nose. Nasal pillows fit into your nostrils and don’t touch your face at all.

Full face masks, nasal masks, and nasal pillows all have their own unique pros and cons. For instance, full face masks tend to be one of the most effective devices for clearing airways at night, but they can be uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Nasal masks can only be used by people with smaller noses, while nasal pillows don’t work as well as either full face or nasal masks for clearing your airways. Finding out which type of CPAP device is best for you is an important part of choosing a sleep apnea treatment.

Tongue Stimulation Therapy

A potential new therapy for sleep apnea, called tongue stimulation therapy, is currently being studied. The therapy involves stimulating the tongue with electrical impulses in order to increase muscle activity and prevent the tongue from collapsing into the throat during sleep.

Before you get too excited about a cure for sleep apnea, remember that it hasn’t been approved yet. At least one study on tongue stimulation has indicated it is effective at reducing airway collapse and related symptoms, but only when patients use an additional oral appliance in conjunction with it. This means that if you have sleep apnea and are using mouth guards or other OTC therapies, you may want to consider talking with your doctor about tongue stimulation therapy. It could be an option for some people who don’t respond as well to other treatments.

How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?

If you have sleep apnea, you may not know it. Symptoms can be subtle and may take years to develop. And because sleep apnea occurs during sleep, you may not be aware that anything is wrong. But left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious and even life-threatening consequences.

If you’re breathing stops for 10 seconds or more, that is considered apnea. You can also have sleep apnea if you make loud snoring sounds, struggle to breathe when asleep or wake up feeling tired even after sleeping for an adequate period of time. If your partner tells you that you snore loudly, weigh yourself before and after a night’s sleep and see whether your weight changes from morning to night, or if your face is red in the morning (sometimes even blue), these are all signs that you could be suffering from sleep apnea. Your doctor can perform tests such as an overnight polysomnography to determine whether you have sleep apnea.

Where Should I Start If I Think I Have Sleep Apnea?

If you think you might have sleep apnea, the first step is to visit your doctor. They can help you determine if you have sleep apnea and, if so, what kind. There are two main types of sleep apnea: obstructive and central. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common and happens when your throat muscles relax and block your airway. Central sleep apnea is less common and happens when your brain doesn’t send signals to your muscles to keep breathing. If you have sleep apnea, your doctor may recommend a tongue-stimulating device. These devices are implanted in the tongue and deliver electrical impulses that help keep the airway open during sleep. Studies have shown that these devices can be effective in treating sleep apnea, but more research is needed.

Will My Insurance Cover This Treatment Option?

If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from sleep apnea, you know how important it is to find a treatment that works for you. But with so many options on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. tongue-stimulating device is a new treatment option that is showing promise for those with sleep apnea. But will your insurance cover this innovative new device?

Does It Work, And What Are Its Side Effects?

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that can have significant consequences for your health. Luckily, there are treatments available that can help. One promising option is a tongue-stimulating device, which is implanted in the mouth and stimulates the tongue during sleep. This helps keep the airway open and prevents snoring and sleep apnea.

There are currently two tongue-stimulating devices available. The first is made by Rythm and uses electrodes to stimulate the tongue; it was approved in 2015 for use in treating mild to moderate sleep apnea. The second is made by Inspire Medical Systems and does not use electricity; instead, it stimulates with magnets, similar to how braces work. It was also approved for sleep apnea treatment in 2015, and there’s evidence that shows its effectiveness compared with other treatments such as CPAP machines. However, because these devices are fairly new, long-term research on their safety and effectiveness has yet to be conducted.

Final Thoughts On Treatment For Sleep Apnea

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you know how disruptive it can be to your life. You may have tried various treatments with little success. But there is new hope on the horizon in the form of a tongue-stimulating device. This implantable device is still in clinical trials, but early results are promising. The device works by stimulating the tongue and soft palate, which helps keep the airway open during sleep. If you are struggling with sleep apnea, talk to your doctor about whether this new treatment option could be right for you.