MAGNETS are the latest technology to be tested as a treatment for snoring. The pull of two magnets is being used to keep the airways open at night to treat obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that affects more than two million people in the UK. It causes the airways to narrow during sleep, interrupting breathing.
When we are asleep, the muscles at the back of the throat relax. For most people, this does not cause a problem, but for those with sleep apnoea, the airway becomes so narrow, breathing is blocked for at least ten seconds.
Once the brain realises breathing has stopped, it sends out a signal for the airway muscles to contract again. This opens the airway and the sufferer normally wakes with a jolt and a snore.
In those with severe OSA, sleep can be interrupted every few minutes. Symptoms include loud snoring and gasping noises when asleep, as well as tiredness and irritability during the day.
OSA is most common in men over 40. Being overweight, drinking alcohol and smoking are also risk factors. Left untreated, OSA can raise the risk of high blood pressure, and of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Treatments include lifestyle changes, such as losing excess weight, cutting down on alcohol, sleeping on your side, and using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.
These machines prevent the airway closing by delivering a continuous supply of compressed air through a mask, but although effective, adherence rates are low because many users find the masks uncomfortable.
The Magnetic Apnoea Prevention (Magnap) device uses the type of magnet found in computer hard drives and bicycle dynamos to keep the airway open. The magnets have an erosion-proof titanium coating and it is claimed that they can be safely left in the body for years, once implanted.
One, the size of a 5p coin, is surgically implanted on the hyoid bone, the U-shaped bone found at the root of the tongue in the neck. The surgery takes around an hour.
Four weeks later, once the inch-long incision has healed, the patient is equipped with a second magnet – contained in fabric that is tied around the neck. This second magnet is attracted to the one implanted in the neck, creating a gentle pulling force which keeps the airway open.
Six people have had implants so far. They are part of a US trial of the technology on 10 people with mild to severe OSA at Mount Zion University Hospital in San Francisco.
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