WESTON, Fla. – Sleep loss and sleep disorders are among the most common, yet frequently overlooked and treatable health problems.
Fortunately, there are some implantable devices that can help people with different forms of sleep apnea finally rest easy.
Back in his 30′s, Jack Lawson, now 82 years old, started having sleep issues.
“At that time, they did a sleep apnea test and told me I would probably need a machine,” he said.
Dr. Michael Medina, a head and neck surgeon with Cleveland Clinic Weston, says the condition increases the risk of serious heart problems.
“If you have sleep disordered breathing, you are actually struggling to breath or you’re not breathing well, which means your oxygen levels drop. What happens when your oxygen levels drop is your heart works overtime,” Medina said.
Lawson is one of 39 million Americans who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, which is when the tongue falls back into the mouth, blocking the airway.
Medina said there’s another form of the condition called Central Sleep Apnea.
“Central Sleep Apnea is when the body itself fails to trigger a breath, so it’s more of a neurologic condition when it’s like the opposite -- instead of getting choked by your own tissue, this one you just stop breathing because the trigger to breathe either goes away or it’s not being triggered,” he said.
When medications and other treatment options fail to provide relief, there are two different implantable devices designed to trigger specific nerves that control breathing in each type of sleep apnea.
Both look and work similar to a pacemaker.
The Remede implant is intended for people with Central Sleep Apnea and is placed near the diaphragm to trigger breathing, while the Inspire implant is placed in the upper body to help those with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
After getting the Inspire implant in November 2023, Lawson said his blood pressure has gone down dramatically and he’s finally sleeping sounding.
“And my wife says, ‘You’re not snoring anymore.’ And I said, ‘Oh that’s great, I don’t have to snore.’ It’s been the greatest thing I’ve ever had,” he said.
A combined total of up to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning and adversely affecting health and longevity.