{"id":8320,"date":"2024-03-17T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-17T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8320"},"modified":"2024-03-17T20:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-17T20:30:00","slug":"sleep-apnea-device-improves-veterans-health-and-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8320","title":{"rendered":"Sleep apnea device improves Veteran\u2019s health and sleep"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-03-17T20:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

For years, Air Force Veteran Deanna King struggled with fatigue and exhaustion. After seeking help at Michael E. DeBakey VA<\/a> in Houston and receiving a new device designed to treat sleep apnea, she sleeps like a baby.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was a walking zombie. I would often wake myself up because of snoring, but I really thought I was getting plenty of sleep.\u00a0It wasn\u2019t until my daughter brought up my snoring that I decided to get it checked out.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Houston VA\u2019s Sleep Disorder Research Center team<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

King participated in a sleep study which revealed a diagnosis that almost six-million people in the United State have received. She had obstructive sleep apnea.\u00a0King was quickly given a CPAP (continuous\u00a0positive airway pressure) machine but knew it was not for her. \u201cThe CPAP machine was a total no-go for me. I brought it back the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Dr. Supriya Singh, director of Houston VA\u2019s Sleep Disorder Research Center, stepped in.\u00a0After hearing King\u2019s story, Singh suggested she may be a great candidate for Inspire, a newer device designed to treat sleep apnea. The Inspire device is a nerve stimulator placed under the skin above the chest during a simple medical operation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis device works with the patient\u2019s natural breathing process to treat obstructive sleep apnea,\u201d said Singh, who is board certified in pulmonary disease, internal medicine and sleep medicine. \u201cIt stimulates the tongue and the palate to move them forward to open up the airway allowing oxygen to flow naturally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Device designed to not wake the patient up<\/h2>\n

The medical procedure to implant the device is about two hours long and consists of one incision under the jaw where an electrode is placed. A battery is placed under the skin on the chest which connects to the electrode.\u00a0The patient is then given a remote control to turn the device on before they go to sleep and off when they wake up. The stimulation is subtle and is designed to not wake the patient up, meaning it shouldn\u2019t be painful or uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Deanna King: \u201cI sleep great and wake up refreshed.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cSince I got this new device, my quality of life has improved so much. I sleep great and wake up refreshed.\u00a0The remote is so easy to use. It really is a life-changer,\u201d King shared.<\/p>\n

Despite being just a minor annoyance, there are several potentially serious side effects to sleep apnea. Left untreated, they include high blood pressure, strokes and heart issues. According to Singh, sleep problems such as insomnia, nightmares and sleep apnea affect everyone, but they are\u00a0particularly common among military Veterans.\u00a0 She says her team at Houston VA is thrilled to offer Veterans the latest technology to treat sleep disorders.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see thousands of Veterans every year in our sleep clinic. Numerous clinical trials have found this new device to be safe and effective and we are excited to see such wonderful results in our Veterans.\u00a0Our goal is to improve the lives of each and every Veteran we see,\u201d said Singh, who is also an assistant professor of Medicine-Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine.<\/p>\n

Now that she is getting plenty of rest, King\u2014retired from the Air Force with more than 20 years of service\u2014is planning trips to Spain and Morocco later this year. \u201cTravel is what I enjoy in my retirement and I\u2019m looking forward to many more trips,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veteran calls device designed to treat sleep apnea \u201ca life changer.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"yoast_head":"\nSleep apnea device improves Veteran\u2019s health and sleep - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veteran calls device designed to treat sleep apnea \u201ca life changer.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8320\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sleep apnea device improves Veteran\u2019s health and sleep - 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