For 30 million people in the United States, a new solution may be on the horizon. You suffer from sleep apnea.
In a Finnish study, a new inhaler showed promising results in reducing the symptoms of the disease, researchers said.
The device, called WellO2, uses steam breathing resistance training to strengthen the throat muscles and relax the airways.
Untreated sleep apnea poses ‘serious’ risks to people’s lives, including heart problems, experts say.
In a small study at the University of Turku Sleep Research Center, 25 people with mild to moderate sleep apnea used the device twice a day at home for three months, breathing in and out 30 times per session.
At the end of the study, participants said they had increased Respiratory muscle strengthAccording to the press release, night breathing problems are reduced, sleep quality is improved and insomnia is reduced.
In a Finnish study, a new inhaler shown at right showed good results in reducing the symptoms of the disease, researchers said. (iStock/WelO)
The incidence of snoring also decreased.
The findings were presented June 5 at the Nordic Lung Congress 2024 in Helsinki, Finland.
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The study will now be peer-reviewed by the Science Congress, and will be published later this year, the researchers said.
The device, called WellO2, uses resistance training to strengthen throat muscles and steam inhalation to moisturize the airways. (ok2)
“Currently, there are no available technologies or Medicines to treat sleep apneaLead author Dr. Osame Al-Ramahi, PhD researcher in Pulmonary Diseases and Clinical Allergy at the University of Turku, told Fox News Digital.
“Our preliminary data suggest that training the respiratory muscles not only relieves symptoms, but also strengthens the muscles and may be the answer to the underlying cause of OSA.”
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CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is currently the highest Conventional treatment For sleep apnea – but a third of patients have difficulty adapting to it, according to Al-Ramahi.
WellO2 is designed as an adjunctive therapy to CPAP.
CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is currently the most common treatment for sleep apnea, but one-third of patients find it difficult to adapt to it. (iStock)
“Although CPAP should be used as needed, WellO2 training can be used as an adjunctive treatment because it addresses underlying causes and may reduce the adverse effects of CPAP by moistening the airways,” Al Ramahi told Fox News Digital.
Limitations of the study
This is the first report Research is currently underwayAl Ramahi said.
The study also did not include a control group.
“There is no quick fix for respiratory recovery.”
“But those people were the controls when the study compared their results to the findings of each participant,” Al-Ramahi said.
“Although there is no control group, the findings are significant. Qualified questionnaires were used, and polysomnography (PSG) was a thorough and reliable procedure that gave objective results.”
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Dr. Chelsea Rohrscheib, Neuroscientist and Sleep Specialist at Vesper new yorkHe did not participate in the study but commented on the potential of the device.
“Sleep apnea is primarily caused by a blockage in the upper airway that prevents oxygen from reaching the lungs,” she said.
Approximately 30 million people in the United States suffer from sleep apnea. (iStock)
“This device is designed to strengthen the muscles of the upper airway and prevent it from happening,” she told Fox News Digital.
Although the device showed “some improvement” when tested in a small number of patients, Rohrscheib said that use of the device was associated with only a “moderate improvement” in respiratory rate.
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“That means it’s not guaranteed to work for every patient or completely eliminate sleep apnea symptoms,” she said.
“Furthermore, the device has not been tested in patients with severe sleep apnea – so patients should not rely solely on this device to help them sleep with sleep apnea without guidance.” Sleep doctor.”
“Patients should not rely solely on this device for the treatment of sleep apnea without the guidance of a sleep physician,” said one sleep expert. (ok2)
Kattri Lindberg, a respiratory specialist nurse in Finland who works with WellO2 as a respiratory specialist, says that she regularly offers WellO2 training to individuals who want to stop snoring or who are not comfortable with CPAP devices for treating sleep apnea.
“The research results are only preliminary findings from a small study, but they provide strong evidence that we have a rehabilitation tool that can now restore a large group of people around the world rather than alleviate symptoms,” Lindbergh told Fox News. Digital
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“The research indicates that there is no quick fix for the rehabilitation of the respiratory system. In order to avoid symptoms and maintain them, regular, albeit relatively small, respiratory training is needed.”