INDIANAPOLIS — It affects millions of Americans.
Sleep apnea can make people feel tired, run down and even run the risk of falling asleep at the wheel.
Sleep apnea can feel like you’ve pulled an all-nighter every morning you wake up.
“You just feel run down all the time, tired," Ascension St. Vincent Hospital Dr. Tod Huntley said. “What happens is the muscles in the throat, tongue relax too much during sleep and fall back and block off the airway. When this happens, the brain isn’t getting enough oxygen and the body goes into a fight or flight mode.”
According to the National Institute of Health, 26 percent of U.S adults between the ages of 30-70 have sleep apnea.
“Most of them don’t even know it. About 80 percent aren’t diagnosed yet," Huntley said.
Sleep apnea can lead to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart attack and premature death.
Patient Deborah Kelly was having more than 40 breathing episodes an hour. Her brain was becoming hypoxic, she’d have hours-long headaches and brain fog.
“I love my brain," Kelly said. "And I don’t wanna lose it."
It wasn’t until she started receiving treatment at Ascension St. Vincent Center for Ear Nose Throat and Allergy that things turned around.
“That’s when my life changed," she said.
Kelly received Inspire Sleep Apnea Treatment.
The surgical procedure involves a small pace-maker-like device being implanted in the muscles over the chest.
“This provides gentle pulses to the tongue that pulls it forward and tightens it, to open up the airway during sleep." Dr. Huntley said.
For Kelly, it’s given her the strength to be physically active, help folks suffering from dementia, and even take her hot, red ride for a spin.
Not all patients qualify for surgically implanted nerve-stimulator devices like Inspire. Here are the requirements:
- Diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea;
- BMI of less than 32 or less than 35 for Medicare patients;
- CPAP-intolerant; and
- 18 years old or older.
If you think you may have sleep apnea, Huntley recommends talking to your primary care physician, being aware of your symptoms and if you share a bed with someone, discuss if your sleeping habits are bothering them.
